irreplaceable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of irreplaceable
First recorded in 1800–10; ir- 2 + replaceable
Explanation
The adjective irreplaceable describes anything that's one of a kind, particularly if it has deep sentimental value to you, like your grandmother's irreplaceable engagement ring. When you replace something, you get something that's just like it, but if something is irreplaceable, there's just no substitute. It might be a special thing given to you by a loved one, like your great-grandfather's pocket watch or something that can't be made again, like an irreplaceable painting or an old floor made from a species of wood that's no longer harvested.
Vocabulary lists containing irreplaceable
Kindred
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A Tangle of Knots
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Week 4 Spelling
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But first, somebody has to pack it all up — all 3.5 million fossils, each fragile and irreplaceable, like a house move out of a nightmare.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
The companies worth owning are those with contracted demand, captive supply chain, or irreplaceable positions in the physical infrastructure that no amount of software optimization can eliminate.
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
“For women, we’re proving our value many times because we’re looking to get that seat at the table. So taking that for granted and thinking, ‘I’m irreplaceable’?
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Singer-actor Farhan Akhtar said it was "impossible to talk about playback singing without mentioning Asha Bhosle", calling her voice, joy and energy "irreplaceable".
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
He handed out massive bribes to the Nazis in command of Auschwitz, all the while arguing that the women were "experts," "highly trained," and "irreplaceable."
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
