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il·leg·i·ble
 illegible
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- pronunciation:
- ih
le
j
bl
- features:
- Word Combinations (adjective), Word Parts
| part of speech: |
adjective |
| definition: |
difficult or impossible to read or decipher.
- antonyms:
- legible, readable
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| related words: |
incomprehensible |
adverb + (adj.)illegible
almost, completely, nearly, unfortunately
(adj.)illegible
+ noun
address,
ballot,
character,
chili,
clerk,
copy,
date,
den,
detail,
doctor,
entry,
essay,
fare,
form,
graffiti,
handwriting,
hour,
image,
inscription,
letter,
mia,
mosaic,
note,
page,
paper,
passage,
pattern,
penmanship,
piece,
postmark,
prescription,
print,
scrap,
scrawl,
script,
sign,
signature,
slip,
stamp,
technician,
text,
witness,
word,
writing
[See all][See only the most frequent]
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| derivations: |
illegibly (adv.), illegibility (n.), illegibleness (n.) |
The word illegible
contains the following parts:
il-2
Latin
prefix
that means not, without
  More about this word part:
The prefix il-2 occurs in Latin loanwords. It is an assimilated form of in-2 used before roots beginning with "l," such as "leg." See in-2
Example words:
leg2, lect1, lig
Latin
root
that means gather; choose; read
Example words:
collect, elect, election, eligibility, eligible, illegible, ineligible, lectern, lecture, legend, legible, neglect, select
-able, -ible, -ble
Latin
adjective-forming suffix
that means capable of being, doing, or undergoing
More about this word part:
The suffix -able
, and its variants, is attached to Latin verb roots or English transitive verbs to form adjectives. (In a small set of cases, -able
is attached to a noun, e.g. knowledgeable and marriageable.) For spelling purposes, it is useful to know that -able
is more likely to be added to a whole English word (comparable
, adorable
), while -ible
is more likely to follow a bound root (visible
, legible
). However,there are still many words which combine a root with -able
(capable
, inevitable
). The suffix -ity can be added to any adjective ending in -able
, -ible
, -ble
to produce a corresponding noun ending in -ability, -ibility, -bility (possible
+ -ity > possibility; irrevocable
+ -ity > irrevocability.)
Example words:
acceptable, accessible, admissible, adorable, amiable, amicable, audible, avoidable, believable, bearable, biodegradable, capable, calculable, cognizable, comparable, compatible, comprehensible, conformable, conversable, convertible, corrigible, credible, creditable, curable, dependable, despicable, disagreeable, disposable, divisible, eligible, explicable, flammable, flexible, illegible, illimitable, imaginable, immiscible, immovable, immutable, impalpable, impassable, impeccable, impermeable, impermissible, imperturbable, implacable, implausible, imponderable, impossible, impregnable, inalienable, inaudible, incapable, incalculable, incommunicable, incomprehensible, inconceivable, detectable, conceivable, incorrigible, incredible, incurable, indefeasible, indelible, indescribable, indestructible, indivisible, indomitable, ineligible, ineluctable, ineradicable, inescapable, inevitable, inexorable, inexpiable, inexplicable, infallible, inhospitable, inimitable, inscrutable, inseparable, insuperable, intangible, interminable, intractable, invaluable, invariable, invincible, invisible, irrefragable, irrefutable, irremissible, irreparable, irreversible, irrevocable, legible, likable, lovable, manageable, measurable, movable, navigable, notable, opposable, palpable, perishable, permissible, placable, portable, possible, potable, predictable, preferable, prescriptible, recognizable, remissible, reprehensible, reversible, risible, semipermeable, sensible, superable, susceptible, tangible, tenable, tolerable, tractable, transmissible, unsupportable, usable, viable, visible, washable, affordable, allowable, reliable, remarkable, approachable, disputable, drinkable, durable, eatable, renewable, sustainable, unshakable
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