illegible
UK[ɪˈlɛdʒɪb(ə)l]US[ɪˈlɛdʒəb(ə)l]
adj
not clear enough to be read; unreadable.
Morpheme Breakdown
il
legible
il
not
legible
readable
Etymology
the word illegible is formed by adding the negative prefix 'il-' to the adjective 'legible'. its core, the root 'leg-', originates from the latin verb 'legere', which means "to gather, choose, read". this verb evolved from the pie root leg- meaning "to collect, gather". the semantic path from "gathering" to "reading" reflects the act of collecting and interpreting symbols. the suffix '-ible' (from latin '-ibilis') forms adjectives meaning "able to be". thus, 'legible' literally means "able to be read", and 'illegible' logically denotes the opposite state—something that cannot be deciphered or read.
Analysis
Structure: il (not) + legible (readable)
il- is a Latin prefix meaning "not", an assimilated form of 'in-' before 'l'. legible is from Latin 'legibilis', meaning "that can be read", from 'legere' (to read).
Examples
his handwriting was so messy that the note was completely illegible.
the old document had faded, rendering the signature illegible.
please type your form; illegible applications will not be accepted.