irreproachable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of irreproachable
First recorded in 1625–35; ir- 2 + reproachable ( def. )
Explanation
Use the adjective irreproachable to describe something or someone blameless or not deserving of criticism. It can be annoying, but your parents strive to give you irreproachable advice when they tell you, "Study hard in school," and not "Party on!" The adjective irreproachable comes from the Old French word reprocher, which meant "to blame." With the addition of the prefix ir-, meaning "not," and the suffix -able, meaning "capable," we get the English meaning of "not capable of being blamed." It is the rare politician who has an irreproachable reputation. So if your background is not irreproachable and you run for office, be prepared for the press to dig up all the skeletons in your closet.
Vocabulary lists containing irreproachable
Educated
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"The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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"The Censors," Vocabulary from the short story
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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.
Irreproachable, a 4-year-old gelding, suffered a catastrophic injury during a workout Monday morning.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 24, 2020
Irreproachable, ir-re-prōch′a-bl, adj. free from blame: upright: innocent.—n.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
Irreproachable in his own life, he condemned sin, but was merciful to the sinner.
From Roman Society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius by Dill, Samuel
Irreproachable boots, well made, well polished, unspotted by the world.
From The Divine Fire by Sinclair, May
Irreproachable actresses reserve the comic-landlady part for their mothers on Broadway and their step-aunts on the road.
From Strictly business: more stories of the four million by Henry, O.
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.
