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

• malfunctioning
• broken
• down
• inoperative
• nonfunctional
• nonfunctioning
• useless
• out of commission

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

Of the remaining kiosks, 40 were inoperable, and the status of five was unknown. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025

About some of his battle, Linda has said, they were told after surgery in July 2022, that the cancer came back in the same spot, was inoperable and that Ryder had just weeks to live. —Helen I. Bennett, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2025

With nearly every bank branch and ATM inoperable, people have become reliant on an unrestrained network of powerful cash brokers to get money for daily expenses — and commissions on those transactions have soared to about 40%. —Wafaa Shurafa, Fortune, 11 July 2025

Schools are now shelters, hospitals are nearly inoperable. —David Remnick, New Yorker, 28 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from French inopérable

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for inoperable

• operable
• interoperable

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