irreparable

[ ih-rep-er-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. not reparable; incapable of being rectified, remedied, or made good:

   an irreparable mistake.

irreparable

/ ɪˈrɛpərəbəl; ɪˈrɛprəbəl /

adjective

1. not able to be repaired or remedied; beyond repair

Derived Forms

• irˌreparaˈbility, noun
• irˈreparably, adverb

Other Words From

• ir·repa·ra·bili·ty ir·repa·ra·ble·ness noun
• ir·repa·ra·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of irreparable¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Latin word irreparābilis. See ir- ², reparable

Example Sentences

The choice isn’t so coercive as to constitute irreparable constitutional harm.

From Time

Because the merits are so uncertain, Wisk has also not adequately shown irreparable injury based on misappropriation.

From TechCrunch

Last month, an Indiana state court judge, citing possible “irreparable harm” to the unemployed, ruled Indiana must continue participation in the federal unemployment benefits program.

From Time

Delaying the predevelopment work would do irreparable harm to the state.

From Washington Post

Doing so would be a violation of my oath, do irreparable harm to our great democracy and set a dangerous precedent for future elections.

From Washington Post

The building had to be rebuilt in 1963 after extensive damage from the Second World War was finally deemed irreparable.

From The Daily Beast

Amelia must do this every day in loving Samuel—who often appears as a reminder of the irreparable past and death of Oskar.

From The Daily Beast

One thing is for certain, the events of the past few weeks have done irreparable damage to the image of Nigeria.

From The Daily Beast

It reached the point where it was irreparable, and the best thing to do for the entire family was to separate.

From The Daily Beast

Moreover, some children's hearing losses are discovered too late; the language delay has already done irreparable damage.

From The Daily Beast

Indeed the mere absence of such warnings for one stormy night would certainly result in loss irreparable to life and property.

From Project Gutenberg

Captain Frank Johnson, died in Philadelphia in 1844, universally respected, and regretted as an irreparable loss to society.

From Project Gutenberg

The moment passed by for ever; Eric had listened without objection to foul words, and the irreparable harm was done.

From Project Gutenberg

If he fell, the monument would find itself bereft of all its elegance, split as by some long and irreparable crack.

From Project Gutenberg

I tried to maintain to myself that this hidden love made no difference to the now irreparable breach between husband and wife.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• irreplaceable
• irreversible

Irreparable Vs. Unrepairable

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.

Quiz yourself on irreparable vs. unrepairable!

True or False? 

Irreparable and unrepairable can sometimes be used interchangeably.