Origin: Latin suffix -ence
Inconvenience has 6 different meanings across 2 categories:
an inconvenient discomfort
"The sudden power outage was a minor inconvenience, but everyone eventually adjusted to the darkness."
a difficulty that causes anxiety
"The sudden road closure was an inconvenience that caused great anxiety among drivers trying to reach the hospital on time."
the quality of not being useful or convenient
"The heavy rain added to our inconvenience by making the hiking trail muddy and slippery."
The quality of being inconvenient.
"The inconvenience of having to walk three blocks in the rain made me decide not to go out today."
In plain English: An inconvenience is something that makes your day harder than it needs to be, like waiting too long for food at lunch.
"The heavy rain caused an inconvenience for everyone waiting at the bus stop."
to cause inconvenience or discomfort to
"Sorry to trouble you, but..."
to bother; to discomfort
"The sudden rainstorm forced us to find shelter, which greatly inconvenienced our picnic plans."
The word "inconvenience" entered English via Middle English from Old French, where it originally meant misfortune or calamity. Its roots trace back to Late Latin inconvenientia, which referred to inconsistency and incongruity.