irreversible
Americanadjective
adjective
-
not able to be reversed
the irreversible flow of time
-
not able to be revoked or repealed; irrevocable
-
chem physics capable of changing or producing a change in one direction only
an irreversible reaction
-
thermodynamics (of a change, process, etc) occurring through a number of intermediate states that are not all in thermodynamic equilibrium
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of irreversible
First recorded in 1620–30; ir- 2 + reversible
Explanation
If you can't undo something, it's irreversible. Time is always irreversible, as is the damage done to your skin by too much sun, so be sure to wear sunblock! While you see reverse inside of this word, you wouldn't use it to describe a car that can't go backwards. However, if the car was in an accident and cannot be fixed, you could say that the damage done to the car was pretty much irreversible, in other words the car is totaled.
Vocabulary lists containing irreversible
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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.
"The policy of continuously strengthening the country's self-defensive nuclear deterrent, as set out by the nation's leader, is an irreversible course that must be implemented without fail," she added.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
Kim has instead repeatedly said North Korea’s status as a nuclear state is irreversible.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
The Taliban government's ban on education has already had an irreversible impact on the lives of countless women and girls.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
With FAPD, the goal of treatment is decreasing the inflammation that causes irreversible scarring and, if possible, stimulating hair growth in follicles that haven’t been completely damaged.
From Slate • May 23, 2026
Space hurls outward, falconswift, mounting like an irreversible injustice, a final disease.
From "Grendel" by John Gardner
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.
