incompatible
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incompatible
So opposed that it cannot be brought into harmony or combined with something else.
Seine politischen Ansichten sind mit den Zielen unserer Partei unvereinbar.
His political views are incompatible with the goals of our party.
The word is derived from 'vereinbaren' (to agree on, to reconcile), which in turn goes back to 'vereinen' (to unite). The prefix 'un-' negates this. So 'unvereinbar' (incompatible) means that two things cannot be 'vereinen' (united) or brought into harmony with each other.
Lange Arbeitszeiten und ein intensives Familienleben sind für viele unvereinbar.
Long working hours and an intense family life are incompatible for many people.
'Unvereinbar' (incompatible) is almost always used in the construction 'etwas ist mit etwas (un)vereinbar' (something is/is not compatible with something). The preposition 'mit' (with) is crucial here to express the opposition.
Seine Forderungen sind mit unseren Grundsätzen unvereinbar.
His demands are incompatible with our principles.
The adjective is often used for abstract concepts. Common combinations are 'unvereinbare Ziele' (incompatible goals), 'unvereinbare Interessen' (incompatible interests), 'unvereinbare Werte' (incompatible values), or 'unvereinbare Gegensätze' (irreconcilable opposites).
Die beiden Parteien hatten völlig unvereinbare Vorstellungen von der Zukunft des Projekts.
The two parties had completely incompatible ideas about the future of the project.
contradictory
Both words describe contrasts that do not fit together. “Widersprüchlich” emphasizes that statements or information logically contradict each other, while “unvereinbar” highlights that two demands or positions cannot both apply. Use “widersprüchlich” for a contradiction and “unvereinbar” when there is no way to combine them.
Die beiden Forderungen der Parteien waren unvereinbar und ließen sich nicht verbinden.
The two parties’ demands were incompatible and could not be reconciled.
Die beiden Aussagen des Zeugen waren widersprüchlich und konnten nicht beide stimmen.
The witness’s two statements were contradictory and could not both be true.
