inoperable

adjective

in·​op·​er·​a·​ble (ˌ)in-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-bəl 

1

: not treatable or remediable by surgery

an inoperable brain tumor

2

: not functioning : inoperative

Synonyms

• down
• inoperative
• kaput
• kaputt
• malfunctioning
• nonfunctional
• nonfunctioning
• nonoperating

Examples of inoperable in a Sentence

a patient with inoperable cancer

The device makes the car inoperable when a key is not used to start it.

Recent Examples on the Web

The device becomes inoperable if someone tries to mess with that. —WIRED, 9 Nov. 2023

The gun was not loaded and was determined to be inoperable, prosecutors said. —Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 17 Nov. 2023

The New Orleans Sewage and Water Board remains in desperate need of funding to tackle necessary repairs to its four water intake structures—one of which that has been inoperable for 34 years. —Essence, 10 Nov. 2023

Regarding listening devices and the camera’s AI capabilities — a feature that can be used to analyze things like traffic flow and bicycle safety — Lara and company representatives stressed those functions are inoperable since that’s not how the department plans to use the network. —Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Oct. 2023

Hospitals treating civilians desperately need fuel to operate generators because the area's main powerplant is inoperable, but the Israeli government fears that fuel could also be of great value to Hamas as its fighters continue to launch rockets. —Shannon K. Crawford, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2023

After the couple worked on the car together for an hour, the vehicle was still inoperable. —Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 5 Oct. 2023

The phone lines in the cave have become inoperable, so that communication between the surface and Mark’s location is extremely slow. —Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 7 Sep. 2023

Minutes before she was set to leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt earlier this week, Israeli airstrikes left the crossing inoperable. —Noreen Nasir, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

probably from French inopérable

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

inoperable

adjective

in·​op·​er·​a·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈäp-(ə-)rə-bəl 

1

: not treatable by surgery

an inoperable cancer

2

: not in working order : inoperative

Medical Definition

inoperable

adjective

in·​op·​er·​a·​ble (ˈ)in-ˈäp-(ə-)rə-bəl 

: not treatable or remediable by or suitable for surgery

an advanced and inoperable cancer

a developing cataract still inoperable

inoperability

(ˌ)in-ˌäp-(ə-)rə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural inoperabilities