irretrievable

1 of 2

adjective

ir·​re·​triev·​able ˌir-i-ˈtrē-və-bəl 

: not retrievable : impossible to regain or recover

irretrievability

ˌir-i-ˌtrē-və-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

irretrievably

ˌir-i-ˈtrē-və-blē 

adverb

irretrievability

2 of 2

noun

ir·​retrievability "+ 

: the quality or state of being irretrievable

Synonyms of irretrievable

Adjective

• hopeless
• incurable
• irrecoverable
• unrecoverable
• irremediable
• incorrigible

Examples of irretrievable in a Sentence

Adjective

The data was irretrievable after the computer crashed.

the irretrievable breakdown of a marriage

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

That probably makes the loss of faith among England fans irretrievable. — The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 16 July 2026

The message had found us, against steep odds, but the meaning was irretrievable. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2026

For Isaac, the film also captures something irretrievable. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026

Days before, Sheriff Nanos had said images were irretrievable. — Richard Ruelas, AZCentral.com, 1 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1702, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for irretrievable

• achievable
• believable
• conceivable
• perceivable
• receivable
• retrievable
• inconceivable
• unbelievable

Kids Definition

irretrievable

adjective

ir·​re·​triev·​able ˌir-i-ˈtrē-və-bəl 

: not capable of being recovered, regained, or remedied

irretrievably

-blē 

adverb