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not able to be revoked or repealed; irrevocable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
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
Messenger
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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.
Throughout their discography, Irreversible Entanglements have seamlessly incorporated electronic elements such as synthesizers and modern postproduction into many of their compositions, which primarily feature otherwise organic instrumentation and textures.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
Irreversible procedures like surgery are rarely performed on minors, and only when doctors determine it’s necessary.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 28, 2023
Irreversible Entanglements is a fiercely riffing jazz band fronted by the low-voiced spoken-word poet Moor Mother.
From New York Times • Dec. 6, 2023
Irreversible loss of either all circulation or all brain function qualifies as death in the U.S.
From Science Magazine • May 11, 2023
Irreversible gelation is usually spoken of as "coagulation."
From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred
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.
