inoperative
Americanadjective
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not operative; not in operation.
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without effect.
inoperative remedies.
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no longer in effect; void; canceled.
The earlier rule is now inoperative.
adjective
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not operating
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useless or ineffective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of inoperative
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.
Its combat fleet also includes Russian MiG-29s and Belarusian Sukhoi Su-27s, most of which are inoperative or in reserve.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
Goldman previously thought the Strait might be inoperative for about half that time.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026
Kia said owners have received multiple notices on the recall by mail and that when inoperative vehicles are excluded, roughly 35% remain uncompleted.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 8, 2025
The need for medical care may increase — studies found a rise in emergency department visits by older adults in the days and weeks after Hurricane Sandy — while hospitals might become inaccessible or inoperative.
From Salon • Aug. 7, 2025
A cultivator, a stripped tractor, a horsetrailer with no side panels and no tires, and other inoperative farm machinery lay about.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
