I. -kyə-lət adjective
Etymology: Late Latin inarticulatus, from Latin in- + articulatus, past participle of articulare to utter distinctly — more at articulate
Date: 1603
1.
a. of a sound : uttered or formed without the definite articulations of intelligible speech
b.
(1) : incapable of speech especially under stress of emotion : mute
(2) : incapable of being expressed by speech
inarticulate fear
(3) : not voiced or expressed : unspoken
society functions on many inarticulate premises
2. : incapable of giving coherent, clear, or effective expression to one's ideas or feelings
3.
[New Latin inarticulatus, from Latin in- + New Latin articulatus articulate]
: relating to, characteristic of, or being an inarticulate or its shell
• in·ar·tic·u·late·ly adverb
• in·ar·tic·u·late·ness noun
II. noun
Date: 1952
: any of a class (Inarticulata) of brachiopods lacking a hinge connecting the two shell valves