irreparable

adjective

ir·​rep·​a·​ra·​ble i-ˈre-p(ə-)rə-bəl 

ˌi(r)-

also nonstandard

ˌir-(r)ə-ˈper-ə-bəl 

: not reparable : irremediable

irreparable damage

irreparableness noun

irreparably

i-ˈre-p(ə-)rə-blē 

ˌi(r)-

also nonstandard ˌir-(r)ə-ˈper-ə-blē

adverb

Synonyms of irreparable

• irreversible
• irremediable
• irretrievable

Examples of irreparable in a Sentence

The oil spill did irreparable harm to the bay.

The damage to their relationship was irreparable.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Justice Department ultimately argued that the outlets have not established irreparable harm and that the balance of equities and public interest favors the government. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026

Amazon is calling for people to support AI data center projects, or risk irreparable harm to the US economy and national security. — Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 2 Oct. 2026

Those transparency measures could catch a dangerous AI model before it’s released and used for irreparable harm, such as enabling someone to build a biological weapon or hack into our power grid. — Matt Post, Baltimore Sun, 1 Oct. 2026

Immigration advocates warn the policy could cause irreparable damage. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin irreparabilis, from in- + reparabilis reparable

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for irreparable

• separable
• inseparable

Kids Definition

irreparable

adjective

ir·​rep·​a·​ra·​ble (ˈ)ir-ˈ(r)ep-(ə-)rə-bəl 

: not capable of being repaired or regained

an irreparable loss

irreparably

-blē 

adverb

Legal Definition

irreparable

adjective

ir·​rep·​a·​ra·​ble i-ˈre-pə-rə-bəl, -prə-bəl 

: impossible to repair, remedy, or undo

irreparably adverb