irreversible

adjective

ir·​re·​vers·​ible ˌir-i-ˈvər-sə-bəl 

: not reversible

irreversibility

ˌir-i-ˌvər-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

irreversibly

ˌir-i-ˈvər-sə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms of irreversible

• irreparable

Examples of irreversible in a Sentence

He suffered an irreversible loss of vision.

The crisis has done irreversible harm to the countries' relations.

Recent Examples on the Web

By the time paramedics had worked on her for nearly an hour before restoring a pulse, the oxygen deprivation left Willis with irreversible brain damage. — Gustavo Turner, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026

Sometimes good design adds the right friction, such as a pause before an irreversible action, a prompt that exposes trade-offs, a boundary that protects attention and a reminder of a long-term goal. — Regan Peng, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

But Saudi officials also insisted on firm, irreversible steps by Israel toward a Palestinian state to conclude a normalization pact, which the hard-right government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposed. — Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 22 July 2026

The second half follows the next generation of Buendías as progress and modernity reshape the town, sending Macondo on an irreversible path toward decline – and the fulfillment of its long-foretold curse. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for irreversible

• dispersible
• reversible
• submersible
• nonreimbursable
• reimbursable

Kids Definition

irreversible

adjective

ir·​re·​vers·​ible ˌir-i-ˈvər-sə-bəl 

: impossible to reverse

an irreversible chemical reaction

irreversible damage

irreversibility

-ˌvər-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

irreversibly

-ˈvər-sə-blē 

adverb

Medical Definition

irreversible

adjective

ir·​re·​vers·​ible ˌir-i-ˈvər-sə-bəl 

: incapable of being reversed : not reversible

an irreversible medical procedure

: as

a

: impossible to make run or take place backward

irreversible chemical syntheses

b

of a colloid : incapable of undergoing transformation from sol to gel or vice versa

c

of a pathological process : of such severity that recovery is impossible

irreversible brain damage

irreversibility

-ˌvər-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural irreversibilities

irreversibly

-ˈvər-sə-blē 

adverb

Legal Definition

irreversible

adjective

ir·​re·​ver·​si·​ble ˌir-rə-ˈvər-sə-bəl 

: not reversible

an irreversible decision