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inoperative

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv How to pronounce inoperative (audio)
Definition of inoperativenext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in malfunctioning
not being in working order looking for an expert to fix the inoperative grandfather clock

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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

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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 agency has also probed 2021 Tesla Model Y vehicles after reports of exterior door handles becoming inoperative due to low battery voltage, leading to instances of children stuck inside. — Andrea Guzmán, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for inoperative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperative
  1. dormant
  2. malfunctioning
  3. invalid
  4. off
  5. inoperable
  6. null
  7. vacant
  8. down
Adjective
  • Most of the money is from dormant accounts in financial institutions, insurance and utility companies, and securities and trust holdings, according to the Florida Department of Financial Services.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Fried adds that bare-root plants are typically shipped or sold wrapped in moist sawdust during their dormant seasons in the spring or fall to ensure optimal planting outcomes.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of dormant
Adjective
  • Homeowners reported a swift meeting at which officers discussed a reorganization of their specific duties and the hiring of an elevator expert to fix the chronically malfunctioning, overloaded elevators.
    — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Watching the first episode of Ultimate Girl’s Trip is like riding in a malfunctioning time machine.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of malfunctioning
Adjective
  • An invoice valid today should not become invalid tomorrow because AI interpreted the same instruction differently.
    — Nitin Gupta, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In his October 2024 final judgment, Carter ruled those leases invalid.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of invalid
Adjective
  • His off-field earnings include licensing payouts from the NFL Players Association, which topped $8 million in 2025.
    — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • To prevent this, the researchers gave the adhesive an off switch.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of off
Adjective
  • On Lanai, one of Hawaii's smallest main islands, storm damage rendered a harbor that supplies much of the food and fuel to its 3,300 residents inoperable.
    — GENE JOHNSON, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • One factor contributing the repair delays – but unmentioned by the GAO report – is acknowledgement that the Washington shipyard at Bremerton on Puget Sound is built on a fault line and four of its dry docks are inoperable following an earthquake.
    — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of inoperable
Adjective
  • For one, null results—in this case, findings that are not unusual or revelatory—are still useful.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 4 June 2026
  • However, in the face of an increasing number of null results, most notably in studies published in late 2025, most physicists now agree that this sterile neutrino doesn’t exist.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of null
Adjective
  • That included eliminating 400 vacant positions, tapping an $89 million rail-project reserve to cover transit expenses and using an affordable-housing reserve to pay for a county eviction-reduction program.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The old data center building that has been sitting vacant out beyond centerfield is slated to come down, making way for more development.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of vacant
Adjective
  • Stock futures are rallying this morning after a third straight down day on Wall Street.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Lizzy McAlpine did not exactly have a lot of down time while working on her new album.
    — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of down

Browse Nearby Words

inoperable
inoperative
inopportune
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Cite this Entry

“Inoperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoperative. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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