irreversible

1 of 2

adjective

ir·​re·​vers·​ible ˌir-i-ˈvər-sə-bəl 

: not reversible

irreversibility

ˌir-i-ˌvər-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

irreversibly

ˌir-i-ˈvər-sə-blē 

adverb

irreversibility

2 of 2

noun

ir·​reversibility ¦i 

¦ir, 

¦iə+

: the quality or state of being irreversible

Synonyms of irreversible

Adjective

• irreparable

Examples of irreversible in a Sentence

Adjective

He suffered an irreversible loss of vision.

The crisis has done irreversible harm to the countries' relations.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

One character’s private moral failure ripples outward into mass death, public catastrophe, and irreversible damage for all surrounding him. — Henry Metz, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026

Code moving toward production, changes that touch sensitive data and any action with irreversible consequences should pass a human review gate. — Krishnaveni Palanivelu, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Group argued construction could be irreversible The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is challenging the ballroom, had told the justices that the project would likely become irreversible unless it is stopped now. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Elena became blind in a car accident that caused irreversible damage to the optic nerve in her left eye, as well as damage to the retina and cornea transparency in her right eye, according to the outlets. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1630, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for irreversible

• dispersible
• reversible
• submersible
• nonreimbursable
• reimbursable

Kids Definition

irreversible

adjective

ir·​re·​vers·​ible ˌir-i-ˈvər-sə-bəl 

: impossible to reverse

an irreversible chemical reaction

irreversible damage

irreversibility

-ˌvər-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

irreversibly

-ˈvər-sə-blē 

adverb

Medical Definition

irreversible

adjective

ir·​re·​vers·​ible ˌir-i-ˈvər-sə-bəl 

: incapable of being reversed : not reversible

an irreversible medical procedure

: as

a

: impossible to make run or take place backward

irreversible chemical syntheses

b

of a colloid : incapable of undergoing transformation from sol to gel or vice versa

c

of a pathological process : of such severity that recovery is impossible

irreversible brain damage

irreversibility

-ˌvər-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural irreversibilities

irreversibly

-ˈvər-sə-blē 

adverb

Legal Definition

irreversible

adjective

ir·​re·​ver·​si·​ble ˌir-rə-ˈvər-sə-bəl 

: not reversible

an irreversible decision