inchoate

Meanings

Adjective

• Recently started but not fully formed yet; just begun; only elementary or immature.
• Chaotic, disordered, confused; also, incoherent, rambling.
• Of a crime, imposing criminal liability for an incompleted act.

Noun

• A beginning, an immature start.

Verb

• To begin or start (something).
• To cause or bring about.
• To make a start.

Origin

• From Latin incohātus ("begun, unfinished"), perfect passive participle of incohō. Cognate with Spanish incoar ("to initiate, commence, begin").