irreplaceable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of irreplaceable
First recorded in 1800–10; ir- 2 + replaceable
Explanation
The adjective irreplaceable describes anything that's one of a kind, particularly if it has deep sentimental value to you, like your grandmother's irreplaceable engagement ring. When you replace something, you get something that's just like it, but if something is irreplaceable, there's just no substitute. It might be a special thing given to you by a loved one, like your great-grandfather's pocket watch or something that can't be made again, like an irreplaceable painting or an old floor made from a species of wood that's no longer harvested.
Vocabulary lists containing irreplaceable
Kindred
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A Tangle of Knots
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Week 4 Spelling
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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.
“They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates,” said Col.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
She is irreplaceable at Chelsea but Bompastor has already confirmed buying a number nine is high on the club's priority list for the summer.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
The companies worth owning are those with contracted demand, captive supply chain, or irreplaceable positions in the physical infrastructure that no amount of software optimization can eliminate.
From MarketWatch ● May 11, 2026
Jain, a 74-year-old executive who Berkshire chairman Warren Buffett has said is irreplaceable, hasn’t signaled when he will step down.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
Power traveled from the drill line's positive lead, through the workbench, through the Mylar, through Pathfinder's hull, through a bunch of extremely sensitive and irreplaceable electronics, and out the negative lead of Pathfinder's power line.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
