inconsistency
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inconsistency
A detail or aspect in a story, plan, or statement that does not fit with the other parts and seems illogical or contradictory.
Der Detektiv bemerkte sofort mehrere Ungereimtheiten in der Zeugenaussage.
The detective immediately noticed several inconsistencies in the witness statement.
The word is derived from 'gereimt', which originally means 'fitting' or 'harmonious'. An 'Ungereimtheit' (inconsistency) is therefore literally something that 'does not fit together' or is illogical. The ending '-heit' makes it a feminine noun.
In seiner Erklärung gab es eine Ungereimtheit bezüglich der Uhrzeit.
There was an inconsistency in his explanation regarding the time.
Common verbs used with 'Ungereimtheit' (inconsistency) are 'entdecken' (to discover), 'bemerken' (to notice), 'finden' (to find), or 'aufklären' (to clear up). You also say that there 'gibt' (are) inconsistencies.
Die Polizei entdeckte schnell einige Ungereimtheiten in seiner Geschichte.
The police quickly discovered some inconsistencies in his story.
The word is very often used in the plural, since in a story or plan there are usually several contradictory details. A preposition like 'in' often follows to name the area of the contradiction.
Der Journalist fand zahlreiche Ungereimtheiten in den offiziellen Dokumenten.
The journalist found numerous inconsistencies in the official documents.
contradiction / objection
'der Widerspruch' and 'die Ungereimtheit' can both mean that something does not fit together logically. 'Widerspruch' is more direct and stronger: two statements or facts do not fit together or exclude each other. 'Ungereimtheit' often sounds a little softer. It means a detail in a story, plan, or statement that seems strange or leaves questions unanswered. Learners may confuse the words because both point to a logical problem. If the contradiction is clear, 'Widerspruch' fits. If something only seems odd or not quite consistent, 'Ungereimtheit' fits better.
Nach dem Gespräch bemerkte ihr Kollege eine Ungereimtheit in der Erklärung.
After the conversation, her colleague noticed an inconsistency in the explanation.
Der Widerspruch fiel sofort auf, weil zwei Zeugen verschiedene Zeiten nannten.
The contradiction stood out immediately because two witnesses gave different times.