Inconsistent With: Standard Pattern
Inconsistent With: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than turning one attested complement into a universal prohibition.
Use “inconsistent with” when one statement, finding, behavior, or condition does not agree with another.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| statement, result, behavior, or condition conflicts with another | inconsistent with + noun | Use “with.” |
| variation within a set over time | inconsistent | The adjective can stand alone when the comparison target is already understood. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you explicitly naming the evidence, rule, statement, or condition that does not agree with the subject?
If yes: Use “inconsistent with.”
If no: Use bare “inconsistent” if no comparison complement is needed.
Caveat: “Inconsistent with” signals lack of agreement; it does not by itself establish which side is correct.
Examples
The result is inconsistent with the earlier estimate.
“With” introduces the conflicting comparison point.
Her account was inconsistent with the records.
The records provide the standard against which the account conflicts.
The measurements were inconsistent.
No complement is needed because the variation is internal to the set.
Further guidance
Construction
Use “inconsistent with” when one statement, finding, behavior, or condition does not agree with another.
Style Boundary
The construction describes lack of agreement or compatibility; it does not mean merely that something changes over time.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- INCONSISTENT WITH SOMETHING — Cambridge English Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct Cambridge dictionary evidence for the Inconsistent With construction and its meaning boundary.