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

• 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

In its lawsuit, Ryan LLC argued that the noncompete ban would inflict irreparable harm by enabling its employees to leave for the competition, potentially taking with them valuable skills and information gained on the job. —Andrea Hsu, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025

Other public speakers, like Tabitha Fader, said the reroute would cause irreparable harm if wetlands and rivers were polluted during pipeline construction or in the event of a spill. —Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025

The panel concluded that the petitioners were likely to succeed on the merits, would face irreparable harm if deported, and that the balance of equities favored preserving their right to judicial review. —Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025

Like biological cancers, these flaws often spread silently, compromise system integrity and, if left untreated, can cause irreparable harm. —Sagar Gupta, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

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