incontinent

/ɪŋˈkɒntɪnənt/

//ɪŋˈkɒntɪnənt// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"incontinent" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“incontinent” is uncommon English (frequency #61,556 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#61,556
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Unable to contain or retain.

Corpus desk

Index EN-incontinent · incontinent · English

incontinent · rank #61,556 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #61,556
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inauthentic

Nearest frequency peer: inauthentic (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “incontinent”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “incontinent” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for incontinent
PropertyValue
Headwordincontinent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪŋˈkɒntɪnənt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#61,556
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “incontinent” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).incontinentfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “inauthentic” (#61,555), “infliction” (#61,557), “imperfectly” (#61,554). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “incontinent” is #61,556. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

incontinent is uncommon English at frequency #61,556 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ɪŋˈkɒntɪnənt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for incontinent in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English incontinent, from Old French incontinent, from Latin incontinens, from in + continens. The correct English form is incontinent, spelled I-N-C-O-N-T-I-N-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Unable to contain or retain.
  2. 2
    Plagued by incontinence; unable to retain natural discharges or evacuations, most commonly of urine or feces.
  3. 3
    Lacking moral or sexual restraint, moderation or self-control, especially of sexual desire.
  4. 4
    Unrestrained or unceasing.
  5. 5
    Immediate; without delay.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how incontinent appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. About 90% of all koalas have chlamydia... which makes them incontinent, so they spend all day pissing themselves.
  2. The male body, opened and bleeding, can assume the shameful attributes of the incontinent female body as both cause of and justification for its evident vulnerability and defeat.

Etymology

From Middle English incontinent, from Old French incontinent, from Latin incontinens, from in + continens.

Antonyms

continentrestrained

This word in other languages

incontinent(Français)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "incontinent"?
"incontinent" is spelled I-N-C-O-N-T-I-N-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪŋˈkɒntɪnənt/.
What does "incontinent" mean?
As an adjective, "incontinent" means: Unable to contain or retain.
How do you pronounce "incontinent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "incontinent" is /ɪŋˈkɒntɪnənt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "incontinent"?
From Middle English incontinent, from Old French incontinent, from Latin incontinens, from in + continens. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "incontinent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

inauthentic#61,555imperfectly#61,554kinesiology#61,574Mandalorian#61,615

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list