untreatable

adjective

un·​treat·​able ˌən-ˈtrē-tə-bəl How to pronounce untreatable (audio)
: not yielding or responsive to medical treatment : not treatable
an untreatable disease
These infections cause an untreatable degeneration of the nervous system …Jared Diamond
The location of the cancer rendered him untreatable by further surgery.Nancy J. Kubel
untreatably adverb

Examples of untreatable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The All My Children star died at age 76 in August 2021 after being diagnosed with an untreatable form of cancer, PEOPLE reported at the time. Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 13 Oct. 2023 And since the discovery of KRAS mutations in 1983, cancers that have it have been thought to be untreatable. Jaimie Seaton, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2024 Such diseases are untreatable neurodegenerative conditions that can incubate in an animal or person for decades before leading to rapid deterioration and death about a year after the onset of symptoms. Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 26 Jan. 2024 The people who build patient advocacy groups are resilient in a way that few are before they firsthand witness the devastation of untreatable disease. Jon Hu, STAT, 18 Dec. 2023 Improving endpoint selection is a huge focus for rare and untreatable disease researchers. Jon Hu, STAT, 18 Dec. 2023 The ultimate fear is that eventually, gonorrhea could prove wholly untreatable, in at least some people. Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 3 Nov. 2023 Reeling from the deaths of his children and weak from an untreatable disease, the billionaire lures his longtime nemesis C. Auguste Dupin (Carl Lumbly), who has spent decades trying to bring the Ushers to justice, to his crumbling childhood home — with the promise of a full confession. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2023 Mammogram, colonoscopy, and other screenings shouldn’t be postponed for long, since early detection can mean the difference between a treatable or untreatable condition. Harvard Women's Health Watch, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'untreatable.' 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

1865, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of untreatable was in 1865

Dictionary Entries Near untreatable

Cite this Entry

“Untreatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/untreatable. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

untreatable

adjective
un·​treat·​able -ˈtrēt-ə-bəl How to pronounce untreatable (audio)
: not susceptible to medical treatment
untreatable patients
an untreatable disease
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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