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

Her illness has left her with irreparable dental damage—forcing her to spend thousands of dollars to restore her smile, a painful and permanent reminder of her eating disorder. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025

The lawsuit alleges that the negligence of the waste management company led to Taylor’s death and caused irreparable harm to his family, according to the press release. —Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 10 July 2025

There is a presumption of irreparable harm, Brann noted, after a finding of trademark infringement. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025

Immediate, irreparable harm When the government creates a policy that might violate the Constitution or federal law, affected people can sue in federal court to stop it. —Cassandra Burke Robertson, The Conversation, 27 June 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