inoperable
Americanadjective
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not operable or practicable.
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Medicine/Medical. not admitting of a surgical operation because the pathological condition is not amenable to cure by surgery or because of undue risk.
adjective
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incapable of being implemented or operated; unworkable
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surgery not suitable for operation without risk, esp (of a malignant tumour) because metastasis has rendered surgery useless
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inoperable
Explanation
An inoperable condition is one that can't be fixed through surgery. If someone's diagnosed with inoperable cancer, it means that an operation would not be helpful. Many kinds of cancer can be treated at least partly through surgery, but those that can't are inoperable. Another way to use this adjective is to mean "not working." If your computer is inoperable, it won't turn on, and if your fireplace is inoperable, you can't actually light a fire in it. Operable, "able to be used," comes from operate, which has a Latin root, operari, "to work." The prefix in- means "not."
Vocabulary lists containing inoperable
I, Robot
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Salt to the Sea
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -able, -ible
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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.
Meta says its glasses are equipped with a LED light that flashes when a photo or video is taken and cannot be turned off without rendering the camera inoperable.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
The power outlet on my American flight on a 25-year-old plane was inoperable, so my laptop died halfway into the flight while I was working.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
A spokeswoman from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works said the agency has authority to order inoperable or unoccupied vehicles removed from private property but uses it only in response to complaints.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Dobrindt said after the guns were rendered inoperable, the weapons cache was placed under surveillance for months but nobody was seen approaching it.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Is this headache a symptom of an inoperable brain tumor?
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
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.
