inoperable
Americanadjective
-
not operable or practicable.
-
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
-
incapable of being implemented or operated; unworkable
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Salt to the Sea
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -able, -ible
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Treatment of Inoperable Cases.—The mouth must be kept as sweet as possible.
From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander
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.
