irreparable

adjective

ir·​rep·​a·​ra·​ble i-ˈre-p(ə-)rə-bəl 

ˌi(r)-,

also nonstandard

ˌir-(r)ə-ˈper-ə-bəl 

: not reparable : irremediable

irreparable damage

irreparableness noun

irreparably

i-ˈre-p(ə-)rə-blē 

ˌi(r)-

 also nonstandard  ˌir-(r)ə-ˈper-ə-blē

adverb

Synonyms

• irrecoverable
• irredeemable
• irremediable
• irretrievable
• irreversible
• unrecoverable
• unredeemable

Examples of irreparable in a Sentence

The oil spill did irreparable harm to the bay.

The damage to their relationship was irreparable.

Recent Examples on the Web

Data breaches can expose sensitive customer information, leading to regulatory fines, lawsuits and irreparable damage to a company's reputation. —Francis Dinha, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024

To 'accelerate' or to support 'accelerationism' is based on a white supremacist belief that the current system is irreparable and without an apparent political solution, and therefore violent action is necessary to precipitate societal and government collapse. —Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 26 Sep. 2024

The record clearly includes concrete examples of election interference, which substantiates the threat of irreparable harm. —Dan Mangan, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2024

That freeze was lifted Wednesday when the court ruled that the commission did not prove that irreparable harm was likely to result from the resumption of election betting. —Wayne Parry, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin irreparabilis, from in- + reparabilis reparable

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

irreparable

adjective

ir·​rep·​a·​ra·​ble (ˈ)ir-ˈ(r)ep-(ə-)rə-bəl 

: not capable of being repaired or regained

an irreparable loss

irreparably

-blē 

adverb

Legal Definition

irreparable

adjective

ir·​rep·​a·​ra·​ble i-ˈre-pə-rə-bəl, -prə-bəl 

: impossible to repair, remedy, or undo

irreparably adverb