(of a manuscript) tampered with. Illegible, indecipherable, confusing, undecipherable, difficult to interpret Legible is an antonym. (of handwriting, print, and so forth.) not illegible or unclear. Illegible manuscripts are those that cannot be read because of damage to the page. Often, parts are missing or the ink has faded away altogether. The word "illegible" is used to describe writings that cannot be understood without more information than just the presence of words on the page. For example, if a writing was only made up of symbols, then it would be considered illegible. Even if some words can be made out, it may be impossible to know what they mean without further evidence such as context or commentary. Damage can come in many forms including watermarking, which is the unintentional addition of marks to paper due to exposure to rain or other moisture. These marks can help identify ownership of the document and when it was written down but cannot be seen with the naked eye. Other damages that can occur include burning, crushing, and tearing which all reduce the viability of the manuscript for future study. Like most languages, English uses different terms to refer to different types of writing.