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not able to be revoked or repealed; irrevocable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
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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.
While Riley waited for a liver transplant, doctors began to notice improvements in his health, despite his parents initially being told the damage could be "irreversible".
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Where it is irreversible, the case for delegation has to be made beforehand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Instead, chromosome changes tend to move along a restricted set of irreversible pathways that the researchers describe as "evolutionary highways."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
We plan to consult an estate-planning attorney and want to approach this thoughtfully rather than making an irreversible decision out of anger or emotion.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
In my own opening remarks, I said that with the dawn of CO-DESA, progress in South Africa had at last become irreversible.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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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.
