|in+ adjective
Etymology: Late Latin inarticulatus, from Latin in- in- (I) + articulatus, past participle of articulare to utter distinctly — more at articulate
1.
a. of a sound : uttered or formed without the definite articulations which produce intelligible speech
gave a little inarticulate grunt — Edith Wharton
: indistinctly articulated or pronounced
speech so inarticulate it resembled a growl
b.
(1) : incapable of speech especially under stress of emotion : mute
almost inarticulate with excitement — Kenneth Roberts
almost pathologically shy, he at times became totally inarticulate — C.B.Forcey
(2) : intense or compelling to the point of preventing speech : not accompanied or attended by speech : incapable of being expressed by speech
dazed with inarticulate pain — Edith Wharton
inarticulate misery
(3) : not voiced or expressed : unspoken
inarticulate judicial notions of rightfulness or wrongfulness of motive — C.O.Gregory
their inarticulate major premises — Times Literary Supplement
expressed the inarticulate feelings of many scientists — Harrison Brown
c.
(1) : unable to speak coherently, forcefully, or purposefully
remained stupidly inarticulate , saying something noncommittal — Victoria Sackville-West
inarticulate as most of their class, they could do no more than utter bald phrases — Ruth Park
(2) : having an incoherent or disjointed character
the stumbling, almost inarticulate , speech of the boy — G.W.Russell
d. : incapable of giving clear and effective expression to one's feelings, ideas, or aspirations in any way
the vast majority of the natives are politically inarticulate — A.F.Macdonald
2.
[New Latin inarticulatus, from in- (I) + articulatus jointed — more at articulata ]
a. : not jointed : having no distinct body segments
an inarticulate worm
b. : lacking a hinge — used especially of certain brachiopod shells
c.
[New Latin Inarticulata ]
: of, resembling, or relating to the Inarticulata
Synonyms: see dumb