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
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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
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(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.
Both sides may be issuing largely maximalist lists of irreconcilable demands but there is still a suggestion of a possible meeting in Pakistan.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
A schism in the House of Windsor looks irreconcilable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
His wife, Agnes, is central to this film, and the loss of their son haunts them both in irreconcilable ways until a miracle of an ending brings them together at the Globe theater.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026
The flag itself has been a symbol of starkly irreconcilable ideals.
From Salon • Jan. 3, 2026
Both expert at translating the character of nuns, Ben and Mary Anne divided them into two distinct and irreconcilable categories: the Smiles and the Vampires.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
