irreparable
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What’s the difference between irreparable and unrepairable? Irreparable and unrepairable both mean just about the same thing: unable to be repaired or fixed. They can be used in overlapping ways, but they are usually used in different contexts and situations. Irreparable is the more commonly used word. It can be applied to objects, such as machines or appliances, that can’t be repaired, but it’s perhaps most commonly used in the context of intangible things like circumstances and relationships. It’s especially used with the word damage, as in I’m afraid I’ve done irreparable damage to my reputation or The iceberg caused irreparable damage to the ship’s hull. On the other hand, unrepairable is typically reserved for physical objects that can’t be fixed, such as cars, tables, or computers, as in I hate that a lot of appliances are manufactured in a way that makes them unrepairable. Still, unrepairable can also be applied to intangible things in the same way that irreparable usually is. Here’s an example of irreparable and unrepairable used correctly in a sentence. Example of irreparable: Sources close to the team say that the relationship between the coaches and the players is irreparable at this point. Example of unrepairable: I’m really hoping my mechanic doesn’t tell me my car is unrepairable—I really don’t want to buy a new one. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between irreparable and unrepairable.
Other Word Forms
- irreparability noun
- irreparableness noun
- irreparably adverb
Etymology
Origin of irreparable
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Latin word irreparābilis. See ir- 2, reparable
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.
El Segundo-based DirecTV separately sued, alleging the combination of the nation’s two largest television station groups would do irreparable harm to its pay-TV business by raising prices and potentially increasing programming blackouts.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
The project - which started four years ago - had triggered protests from locals and environmentalists, who argued that the construction work was causing irreparable damage to the Unesco World Heritage Site.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
Protecting the California parents while the litigation proceeds, she says, “reflects the Court’s judgment about the risk of irreparable harm.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026
"For months, the government insisted there was no irreparable harm because businesses could always be made whole through refunds," the Liberty Justice Center said in a statement last week.
From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026
Abraham Lincoln had been senselessly slain by the hand of a madman, and Jethro Creighton, with all the people of his time, had suffered an irreparable loss.
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
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.
