irreconcilable
Americanadjective
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incapable of being brought into harmony or adjustment; incompatible.
irreconcilable differences.
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incapable of being made to acquiesce or compromise; implacably opposed.
irreconcilable enemies.
noun
-
a person or thing that is irreconcilable.
-
a person who is opposed to agreement or compromise.
adjective
noun
-
a person or thing that is implacably hostile or uncompromisingly opposed
-
(usually plural) one of various principles, ideas, etc, that are incapable of being brought into agreement
Other Word Forms
- irreconcilability noun
- irreconcilableness noun
- irreconcilably adverb
Etymology
Origin of irreconcilable
First recorded in 1590–1600; ir- 2 + reconcilable
Explanation
Your dad wants Mozart in the car and you want Eminem? That's an irreconcilable difference right there — two tastes or ideas or preferences so different from each other there can be no compatibility or middle ground. Diplomacy can't help, only headphones. Where would divorce lawyers be without this lovely word irreconcilable? Their clients don't just have differences with their spouses, they have "irreconcilable differences" — in other words, demands or points of view so distant from each other they can never be bought together. Bye-bye marriage, hello legal fees.
Vocabulary lists containing irreconcilable
Opposites Attract
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Go Set a Watchman
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The Federalist Papers, No. 78 by Alexander Hamilton
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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.
The flag itself has been a symbol of starkly irreconcilable ideals.
From Salon • Jan. 3, 2026
Once the wave of revolution receded, irreconcilable ideological and national differences were exposed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025
James Murdoch's relationship with his father and older brother Lachlan appears irreconcilable.
From BBC • Dec. 23, 2025
In times of high uncertainty, irreconcilable differences may mean further changes to the statement would mean robbing Peter to pay Paul.
From Barron's • Dec. 12, 2025
How can a writer reconcile these irreconcilable demands about where the words should go in a sentence?
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
