irreplaceable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word 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.
The specimens are irreplaceable, so we could not dissect them.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
Across elite enclaves, ultrawealthy buyers are paying eye-popping prices for relatively new homes—only to immediately demolish them to secure irreplaceable land for custom builds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
He is still irreplaceable at 33 and their top scorer in major tournaments with 21 goals in 36 appearances across six of those showpieces, ahead of Gary Lineker's 10 goals in 18 appearances.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
“Two women from Texas. Two unmistakable and irreplaceable voices that broke down and continue to break down barriers,” read the statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
According to most estimates, by the mid-1770s, the average American colonist consumed more than three quarts of molasses a year—making it an irreplaceable part of the colonial economy.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
