illegible

adjective

il·​leg·​i·​ble (ˌ)i(l)-ˈle-jə-bəl How to pronounce illegible (audio)
: not legible : indecipherable
illegible writing
illegibly adverb

Examples of illegible in a Sentence

illegible signatures on the petition will be disregarded
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The letter featured a number of typos, and the Federal Reserve’s seal was illegible and appeared to be generated by artificial intelligence. Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 22 July 2025 His striking work, Protest, depicts the bloodshed of Sri Lanka’s long civil war, using books that are charred or rendered illegible, often decorated with symbolic or figurative objects, like toy-soldier figurines marching across a soiled page. Thessaly La Force, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2025 Details that were vivid just moments ago are now blurry, illegible, buried beneath the layers. Grace Edquist, Vogue, 8 May 2025 Acronyms and jargon illegible to civilians are flying everywhere, and the world effectively shrinks down to a two-story duplex the Americans have commandeered and the market across the street viewed almost exclusively through a sniper’s scope. Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for illegible

Word History

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of illegible was in 1580

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Cite this Entry

“Illegible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illegible. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

illegible

adjective
il·​leg·​i·​ble (ˈ)il-ˈ(l)ej-ə-bəl How to pronounce illegible (audio)
: impossible or very hard to read
illegible handwriting
illegibly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on illegible

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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