irreversible
Americanadjective
adjective
-
not able to be reversed
the irreversible flow of time
-
not able to be revoked or repealed; irrevocable
-
chem physics capable of changing or producing a change in one direction only
an irreversible reaction
-
thermodynamics (of a change, process, etc) occurring through a number of intermediate states that are not all in thermodynamic equilibrium
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of irreversible
First recorded in 1620–30; ir- 2 + reversible
Explanation
If you can't undo something, it's irreversible. Time is always irreversible, as is the damage done to your skin by too much sun, so be sure to wear sunblock! While you see reverse inside of this word, you wouldn't use it to describe a car that can't go backwards. However, if the car was in an accident and cannot be fixed, you could say that the damage done to the car was pretty much irreversible, in other words the car is totaled.
Vocabulary lists containing irreversible
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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.
Kim has instead repeatedly said North Korea’s status as a nuclear state is irreversible.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
It suggests that no other irreversible power to immunize lurks in the Constitution’s silences.
From Slate • May 26, 2026
The shadow of suspicion no longer hung over him but Sapna described the damage as "total and irreversible".
From BBC • May 4, 2026
Above that threshold, scientists warn that coral reefs and Greenland ice sheets could disappear, among other catastrophic and irreversible impacts.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
After declaring his irreversible intention to retire, Washington devoted several paragraphs to the need for national unity.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
