irreplaceable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- irreplaceably adverb
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.
He is irreplaceable, the drop-off after him alarming.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
Helium plays an irreplaceable part in the manufacturing process for semiconductor chips and Qatar supplies a third of the global output.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
“Beautiful, generous, talented and kind, Rainelle is irreplaceable and will always hold a unique place in our memories.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
"Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China-US relations," spokesman Lin Jian told a press conference.
From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026
So he went with a bad solution: he put the painting—fragile, irreplaceable, unprotected—under his sweaty white smock.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
