irretrievable

[ir-i-tree-vuh-buh l]

See more synonyms for irretrievable on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not capable of being retrieved; irrecoverable; irreparable.

Origin of irretrievable

1695–1705; ir-² + retrievable

Related formsir·re·triev·a·bil·i·ty, ir·re·triev·a·ble·ness, nounir·re·triev·a·bly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for irretrievable

Contemporary Examples

His death during the storm was recognized as an irretrievable loss of part of what made the neighborhood the neighborhood.
Rockaway Mailman Rick Gold Killed in Storm and Mourned on His Route
Michael Daly
November 9, 2012
But she and her family have learned enough about irretrievable loss to keep a hard-earned perspective.
Heroism in the Rockaways After Hurricane Sandy
Michael Daly
November 6, 2012

Historical Examples

The man's chance is not irretrievable, at least such is the theory.
Lord Kilgobbin
Charles Lever
What was to come of such a career, save immediate and irretrievable ruin?
Roland Cashel
Charles James Lever
And she had no wish to add this irretrievable folly to the original blunder.
The Lure of the Mask
Harold MacGrath
After all the demolitions of Totila, the ruin was not irretrievable.
Theodoric the Goth
Thomas Hodgkin
We know that the fact is irretrievable, and struggle to be proud of what we cannot help.
The Two Admirals
J. Fenimore Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for irretrievable

irretrievable

adjective

not able to be retrieved, recovered, or repaired

Derived Formsirretrievability or irretrievableness, nounirretrievably, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for irretrievable

adj.

1690s (implied in irretrievably), from assimilated form of in- (1) "not, opposite of" + retrievable (see retrieve). Related: Irretrievably.

irretrievable

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}irretrievable

Related Words

Examples from the Web for irretrievable

Contemporary Examples

His death during the storm was recognized as an irretrievable loss of part of what made the neighborhood the neighborhood.

But she and her family have learned enough about irretrievable loss to keep a hard-earned perspective.

Historical Examples

The man's chance is not irretrievable, at least such is the theory.

What was to come of such a career, save immediate and irretrievable ruin?

And she had no wish to add this irretrievable folly to the original blunder.

After all the demolitions of Totila, the ruin was not irretrievable.

We know that the fact is irretrievable, and struggle to be proud of what we cannot help.

irretrievable

Word Origin and History for irretrievable

adj.

Origin of irretrievable