illegible

adjective

il·​leg·​i·​ble (ˌ)i(l)-ˈle-jə-bəl How to pronounce illegible (audio)
: not legible : indecipherable
illegible writing
illegibly adverb

Examples of illegible in a Sentence

illegible signatures on the petition will be disregarded
Recent Examples on the Web Without these keys, any data that could potentially land in a breach is nothing but illegible noise to nosy onlookers. Matthias Pfau, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 My small chronos with similarly elaborate timing scales are pretty much illegible anyways. Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2024 The parcels containing those items will have become undeliverable for a number of reasons, including that the address is inadequate or illegible, or that the person may have moved or there is no return address. Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week Uk, theweek, 16 Oct. 2024 The picture contains several other signs of digital fabrication as well, including Trump and the man beside him having only four fingers on each hand and the lettering on their hat and life jackets being illegible. Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for illegible 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'illegible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of illegible was in 1580

Dictionary Entries Near illegible

Cite this Entry

“Illegible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illegible. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

illegible

adjective
il·​leg·​i·​ble (ˈ)il-ˈ(l)ej-ə-bəl How to pronounce illegible (audio)
: impossible or very hard to read
illegible handwriting
illegibly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on illegible

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!