ironclad

[ adjective ahy-ern-klad; noun ahy-ern-klad ]

/ adjective ˈaɪ ərnˈklæd; noun ˈaɪ ərnˌklæd /

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Definition of ironclad

adjective

covered or cased with iron plates, as a ship for naval warfare; armor-plated.

very rigid or exacting; inflexible; unbreakable: an ironclad contract.

noun

a wooden warship of the middle or late 19th century having iron or steel armor plating.

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Origin of ironclad

First recorded in 1850–55; iron + clad¹

Words nearby ironclad

ironbark, iron blue, ironbound, iron brick, Iron Chancellor, ironclad, Iron Cross, iron curtain, Irondequoit, Iron Duke, irone

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ironclad in a sentence

Even if the data from VAERS was ironclad, vaccines are generally given to children, who are significantly less likely to die of something else in impending months and years, because they are young.
Tucker Carlson’s worst vaccine segment yet|Aaron Blake|May 6, 2021|Washington Post
It’s not an ironclad rule, but there is a lot of evidence that moderate candidates tend to perform better at the ballot box.
The Strongest House Candidates In 2020 Were (Mostly) Moderate|Nathaniel Rakich (nathaniel.rakich@fivethirtyeight.com)|March 23, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
McConnell spokesman Doug Andres also said Sinema has provided an arguably even more ironclad assurance to McConnell personally that she would reverse course under no circumstances.
What McConnell got — and didn’t — on the filibuster|Aaron Blake|January 26, 2021|Washington Post
Reid’s pledges might not have been as ironclad as the ones we see today from Manchin and Sinema, but things can change.
What McConnell got — and didn’t — on the filibuster|Aaron Blake|January 26, 2021|Washington Post

This toughness makes the diabolical ironclad beetle pretty predator-proof.
The diabolical ironclad beetle is nearly unsquishable|Maria Temming|November 23, 2020|Science News For Students
The Dallas case is breaking some of our ironclad assumptions.
The CDC Was Wrong About How to Stop Ebola|Kent Sepkowitz|October 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But its now obvious the ironclad security guarantees they claimed to provide are perfectly hollow.
Ukraine Expects U.S. Military Help If War With Russia Starts|Jamie Dettmer|March 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The other rule, which is just as ironclad, gave rise to their motto: “Blood In/Blood Out.”
Why I Fear the Aryan Brotherhood—and You Should, Too|Anonymous|April 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The ironclad rule for entrée into the Brotherhood is simple: kill a black or a Hispanic prisoner.
Why I Fear the Aryan Brotherhood—and You Should, Too|Anonymous|April 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
U.S. tanks parked at the edge of its main street, providing ironclad overwatch.
Iraq War 10th Anniversary: The Iraqi Highway Patrolman|John Kael Weston|March 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
However, it is important historically as the first battle of ironclad vessels in the United States.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
And, like the Cut-Leaved Birch, it is ironclad in its hardiness.
Amateur Gardencraft|Eben E. Rexford
The Speedy had not been able to withstand a torpedo that would have destroyed an ironclad as easily as a fishing-boat!
The Secret of the Island|W.H.G. Kingston (translation from Jules Verne)
The ironclad monopoly enjoyed by the Harriman and Hill lines would probably have prevented this in any event.
Railroads: Rates and Regulations|William Z. Ripley
I would as soon have a paper ship as an ironclad; only give me men to fight her!
A Short Life of Abraham Lincoln|John G. Nicolay

British Dictionary definitions for ironclad

ironclad

adjective (ˌaɪənˈklæd)

covered or protected with ironan ironclad warship

inflexible; rigidan ironclad rule

not able to be assailed or contradictedan ironclad argument

noun (ˈaɪənˌklæd)

a large wooden 19th-century warship with armoured plating

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ironclad

Definition of ironclad

Origin of ironclad

Words nearby ironclad

Words related to ironclad

How to use ironclad in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ironclad