irrevocably

American  

[ih-rev-uh-kuh-blee] / ɪˈrɛv ə kə bli /

adverb

1. in a way that can never be reversed, undone, or canceled; permanently.

   The huge manuscript is unbound looseleaf and there are no page numbers, so if you drop it the whole thing is irrevocably scrambled.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonirrevocably
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of irrevocably

irrevocab(le) ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

If you do something irrevocably, there's no going back. Irrevocably describes an action that can't be changed or reversed. When something's done permanently, it's happened irrevocably. If you break off a friendship irrevocably, it's final; you will never regain that friend again. Irrevocably comes from the Latin word irrevocabilis, meaning "unable to be recalled or reversed."

Example Sentences

Both Hope, who represents Delves Lane in Consett, and Harrison, who represents Seaham, said their relationship with the Durham Reform leadership had broken down irrevocably.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

But I look at this year’s official poster — Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis striking a steely pose from 1991’s “Thelma & Louise” — and can’t help but wonder if Hollywood has changed irrevocably.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

Figures like Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Napoleon were adventurers, and while perhaps not personally admirable, they changed history and changed it irrevocably:

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

The film was inspired by the real life story of Tourette's campaigner John Davidson whose life has been irrevocably changed by the condition.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

We came home from the hospital a few days later, finally and irrevocably robbed of his ambitions.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

Related Words

• certainly
• completely
• decisively
• definitely
• permanently