irretrievable
adjective
ir·re·triev·able
ˌir-i-ˈtrē-və-bəl 
: not retrievable : impossible to regain or recover
Synonyms
Examples of irretrievable in a Sentence
The data was irretrievable after the computer crashed.
the irretrievable breakdown of a marriage
Recent Examples on the Web
For a moment, Zolciak and Biermann’s relationship looked irretrievable.
—
Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 13 July 2023
And the only irretrievable loss of time has been due to our homeland’s irretrievable lapse into exhaustion.
—Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, WSJ, 1 Oct. 2020
In Suzume, there are many kinds of mourning, tied to the many kinds of irretrievable, often intertwined loss — of a person, a time, a tradition, a home.
—Kayti Burt, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2023
So breathtakingly fast and irretrievable.
—Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 7 June 2022
Her own history was irretrievable.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2021
For Bodie, much of the past is as tantalizing and irretrievable as the meaning of private jokes in an old yearbook.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2023
Taking a scan of an injured brain often produces a map of irretrievable losses, revealing spots where damage causes memory difficulties or tremors.
—Benjamin Mueller, BostonGlobe.com, 13 June 2022
The gesture, one likely to be recognized by any number of Ms. Rodin’s contemporaries whose 30s are long behind them, seemed a wistful acknowledgment that the past is irretrievable.
—Ruth La Ferla, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2022
See More
Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 13 July 2023
And the only irretrievable loss of time has been due to our homeland’s irretrievable lapse into exhaustion.
—Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, WSJ, 1 Oct. 2020
In Suzume, there are many kinds of mourning, tied to the many kinds of irretrievable, often intertwined loss — of a person, a time, a tradition, a home.
—Kayti Burt, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2023
So breathtakingly fast and irretrievable.
—Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 7 June 2022
Her own history was irretrievable.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2021
For Bodie, much of the past is as tantalizing and irretrievable as the meaning of private jokes in an old yearbook.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2023
Taking a scan of an injured brain often produces a map of irretrievable losses, revealing spots where damage causes memory difficulties or tremors.
—Benjamin Mueller, BostonGlobe.com, 13 June 2022
The gesture, one likely to be recognized by any number of Ms. Rodin’s contemporaries whose 30s are long behind them, seemed a wistful acknowledgment that the past is irretrievable.
—Ruth La Ferla, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'irretrievable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1702, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near irretrievable
Cite this Entry
“Irretrievable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irretrievable. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
irretrievable
adjective
ir·re·triev·able
ˌir-i-ˈtrē-və-bəl
: not capable of being recovered, regained, or remedied
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