inoperable
adjective
in·op·er·a·ble
(ˌ)in-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-bəl 
1
: not treatable or remediable by surgery
an inoperable brain tumor
2
: not functioning : inoperative
Examples of inoperable in a Sentence
a patient with inoperable cancer
The device makes the car inoperable when a key is not used to start it.
Recent Examples on the Web
These instances will be limited to unsafe or inoperable vehicles, which cannot be physically driven to the inspection location.
—
Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 2 Sep. 2025
Inflation started to take off on the heels of the new framework taking effect and eventually reached a four-decade peak in 2022, rendering the strategy inoperable.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Aug. 2025
However, in January 2025, TIGTA visited eight TACs with inoperable kiosks and found the machines were still not working.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
More importantly, if just one lock were disabled or destroyed, the passage from east to west would be essentially inoperable, crippling the United States and its military defenses.
—Shoshi Parks, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperable
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Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 2 Sep. 2025
Inflation started to take off on the heels of the new framework taking effect and eventually reached a four-decade peak in 2022, rendering the strategy inoperable.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Aug. 2025
However, in January 2025, TIGTA visited eight TACs with inoperable kiosks and found the machines were still not working.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
More importantly, if just one lock were disabled or destroyed, the passage from east to west would be essentially inoperable, crippling the United States and its military defenses.
—Shoshi Parks, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperable
Cite this Entry
“Inoperable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inoperable. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inoperable
adjective
in·op·er·a·ble
(ˈ)in-ˈäp-(ə-)rə-bəl
1
: not treatable by surgery
an inoperable cancer
2
: not in working order : inoperative
Medical Definition
inoperable
adjective
in·op·er·a·ble
(ˈ)in-ˈäp-(ə-)rə-bəl
: not treatable or remediable by or suitable for surgery
an advanced and inoperable cancer
a developing cataract still inoperable
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