unrecoverable

adjective

un·​re·​cov·​er·​able ˌən-ri-ˈkə-və-rə-bəl 

-ˈkəv-rə-

1

: unable to be recovered, recaptured, or regained : hopelessly lost : irrecoverable

unrecoverable loans

2

: unable to be corrected : irremediable

an unrecoverable error/failure

an airplane in an unrecoverable spin

Synonyms of unrecoverable

• hopeless
• irrecoverable
• irretrievable
• incurable

Examples of unrecoverable in a Sentence

believed that there was no such thing as an unrecoverable criminal

the flood caused unrecoverable damage to our home

Recent Examples on the Web

His remains were determined to be unrecoverable in 1956 until new DNA testing led to his homecoming. —Bri Buckley, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026

It was pronounced unrecoverable. —Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

This leads to what may be a unrecoverable confession from Emma that adds tension to the lead-up to their nuptials. —Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026

If the government stays closed, the blame will fall on those fighting to protect an agency operating at an unrecoverable trust deficit, pushing out transparent propaganda that Republican politicians are struggling to coherently defend. —Logan McMillen, Washington Post, 27 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unrecoverable

• discoverable
• recoverable
• irrecoverable