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.
Ancient human remains are both scientifically irreplaceable and culturally important, making sampling methods that significantly damage fossils unacceptable in many cases.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026
Another one of Bayern's irreplaceable players is another Londoner in Olise, who represents France at international level.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Sellers are enjoying a jump in sales but fretting over whether irreplaceable books are being “sent to the guillotine” to train large language models.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Supporters argue the bar is an irreplaceable cultural institution and a safe place for Spanish-speaking gay Latinos, transgender Latinas and working-class immigrants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
But Gregor and Boots, two Overlanders with a dad imprisoned by rats, they were irreplaceable.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
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.
