irrevocable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of irrevocable
First recorded in 1350–1400; a Middle English word from the Latin word irrevocābilis; see ir- 2, revocable
Explanation
If you're on a diet but eat one tiny piece of chocolate, it might start an irrevocable slide into bad eating. Describe something as irrevocable if it cannot be undone or taken back. If you break down irrevocable, you wind up with ir "not," re "back" and vocable from the Latin vocare "to call." So if something is irrevocable, you cannot call it back — it is permanent. You must fulfill an irrevocable promise and live with an irrevocable decision. A law is irrevocable if it states within the law that it cannot be nullified. Now that's final!
Vocabulary lists containing irrevocable
Grade 9, List 3
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"The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe
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The Bluest Eye
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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.
Some people establish an irrevocable trust early enough to avoid the five-year look-back rule.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
Related: ‘I am an only child’: My father left his $50 million estate to my stepmother in an irrevocable trust.
From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026
Asset swapping in irrevocable grantor trusts offers tax-saving opportunities, especially during volatile markets.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
While irrevocable trusts are permanent structures, the assets within them are flexible and can be swapped at any time with different similarly valued assets—a strategy worth considering during times of extreme swings in market values.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
There was no real anger and nothing irrevocable was said.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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.
