irretrievable

adjective

ir·​re·​triev·​able ˌir-i-ˈtrē-və-bəl 

: not retrievable : impossible to regain or recover

irretrievability

ˌir-i-ˌtrē-və-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

irretrievably

ˌir-i-ˈtrē-və-blē 

adverb

Synonyms

• hopeless
• incorrigible
• incurable
• irrecoverable
• irredeemable
• irreformable
• irremediable
• unrecoverable
• unredeemable

Examples of irretrievable in a Sentence

The data was irretrievable after the computer crashed.

the irretrievable breakdown of a marriage

Recent Examples on the Web

Once deleted, users can also manually empty the trash folder, making those files and communications irretrievable and truly deleted from the online platform. —Lars Daniel, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024

Going into Comic-Con, Marvel really did need to reaffirm its swagger, to prove 2023 was a momentary ebb rather than the start of an irretrievable decline. —Adam B. Vary, Variety, 28 July 2024

Until then, the damage to the New York business community and to the rule of law is irretrievable. —Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2024

Given enough machinery and labor, roads were not irretrievable after all. —Ben Goldfarb, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

irretrievable

adjective

ir·​re·​triev·​able ˌir-i-ˈtrē-və-bəl 

: not capable of being recovered, regained, or remedied

irretrievably

-blē 

adverb