ironclad

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

See more synonyms for ironclad on Thesaurus.com

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.

Origin of ironclad

First recorded in 1850–55; iron + clad¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for ironclad

abiding, unwavering, definite, inflexible, firm, certain, changeless, confirmed, enduring, planned, settled, stated, stubborn, sure, unalterable, uncompromising, determinate, agreed, prearranged

Examples from the Web for ironclad

Contemporary Examples of ironclad

The Dallas case is breaking some of our ironclad assumptions.
The CDC Was Wrong About How to Stop Ebola
Kent Sepkowitz
October 1, 2014
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
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
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
What they need is a workable, ironclad, conflict-ending arrangement to allow them to live side-by-side in peace.
The Lessons of the Nakba
Ziad J. Asali
May 11, 2012

Historical Examples of ironclad

First of all I'd have to tie Josephine Francis down with an ironclad contract.
Greener Than You Think
Ward Moore
You might go so far as t' give that bellerin' ironclad a toot.'
Harbor Tales Down North
Norman Duncan
The ironclad seemed to rebound and tremble for a moment, and then passed on.
The Lively Poll
R.M. Ballantyne
The vessel described was the Miantonoma, an American ironclad turret-ship.
Man on the Ocean
R.M. Ballantyne
A monster Russian ironclad, it was said, lay somewhere “outside.”
In the Track of the Troops
R.M. Ballantyne

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

Word Origin and History for ironclad

adj.

1852, of warships, American English, from iron (n.) + clad. Of contracts, etc., 1884. As a noun meaning "iron-clad ship," it is attested from 1862.