word

Incommensurability

in-kuh-men-SHUR-ah-BIL-ih-tee

/ɪnkəˌmɛnʃərəˈbɪlɪtiː/

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Syllable breakdown

incommensurability

Dictionary meaning

Kuhn's and Feyerabend's claim that competing scientific paradigms are so different in concepts, methods, and standards that they cannot be directly compared or evaluated on a common scale

Examples

The incommensurability of Newtonian and Einsteinian mechanics means the two theories don't just differ in conclusions but in the very meaning of terms like 'mass'.

Pronunciation tips

Stress the fifth syllable: 'in-com-men-su-ra-BIL-i-ty'. A key term in Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions.

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