1
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment
be careful when putting your hands in even an inoperative garbage disposal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in malfunctioning
not being in working order
looking for an expert to fix the inoperative grandfather clock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in invalid
having no legal or binding force
the decision of the state's supreme court has rendered the law inoperative
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inoperative
The Info menu indicates the right rear sensor is inoperative.
—
John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026
Of those who reported incidents, none saw a low voltage battery warning before the exterior door handles became inoperative.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
But the speed came from all three levels of Green Bay’s defense, rendering Washington’s offense almost inoperative.
—Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The systems could have electrical compressor failure, which can cause the defroster or defogger to be inoperative, increasing the risk of a crash, the recall notice said.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperative
John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026
Of those who reported incidents, none saw a low voltage battery warning before the exterior door handles became inoperative.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025
But the speed came from all three levels of Green Bay’s defense, rendering Washington’s offense almost inoperative.
—Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
The systems could have electrical compressor failure, which can cause the defroster or defogger to be inoperative, increasing the risk of a crash, the recall notice said.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperative
Adjective
-
Featuring aching, ferocious performances from Emmy winners Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, Camp Miasma imagines the resurrection of a dormant slasher franchise.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
11 May 2026
-
Friends since first grade and bandmates since high school, the two 32-year-old Rogers Park natives and founding members of the then-dormant Chicago indie-rock band Twin Peaks weren’t at the Pilsen venue scouting locations for a potential reformation.—
Blair R. Fischer,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Despite the accomplishments, Artemis II astronauts had to contend with a more mundane problem -- a malfunctioning space toilet.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Despite the accomplishments, Artemis II astronauts had to contend with a more mundane problem — a malfunctioning space toilet.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Any proof — valid or invalid, interactive or noninteractive — can have a simulator.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
11 May 2026
-
In late April, the city said that fewer than 1% of responses were invalid or from outside the city’s ZIP codes.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
And their struggles are why Thursday’s off day couldn’t come at a better time.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
-
The service On a recent off-season autumn stay a few weeks after opening, service felt friendly, low-key, knowledgeable—and fairly hands-off, mostly for the better.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Tesla is also recalling more than 200,000 Model Y, Model S Model X and Model 3 electric vehicles because of a software issue that renders the rearview camera inoperable for a short period of time.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
-
Farmers across Cuba have watched their equipment become inoperable due to lack of fuel, leading them to be forced to rely on animal and manual labor to make ends meet.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
For example, with more vacant downtown office space on the market, the city should work to bring more office-to-housing conversion projects online.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
That council seat was vacant for less than six weeks.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The left-leaning Pipeline Fund, which started in 2018, helped Democrats in Florida pick up fifteen school-board seats in 2024, and plans to back candidates in school-board and other down-ballot races across twenty-one states in the next midterms.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
The Eastern Conference clearly had the stronger goalies in general, even in a down season for future Hockey Hall of Famer Sergei Bobrovsky.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Late or incomplete entries will be void.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
-
Now two other artists, Otto and West, will try to fill the musical void Malo left.—
Dan Kelly
May 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inoperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoperative. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
