irreversible

[ ir-i-vur-suh-buhl ]
See synonyms for irreversible on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. not reversible; incapable of being changed: His refusal is irreversible.

Origin of irreversible

1
First recorded in 1620–30; ir-2 + reversible

Other words from irreversible

  • ir·re·vers·i·bil·i·ty, ir·re·vers·i·ble·ness, noun
  • ir·re·vers·i·bly, adverb

Words Nearby irreversible

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use irreversible in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for irreversible

irreversible

/ (ˌɪrɪˈvɜːsəbəl) /


adjective
  1. not able to be reversed: the irreversible flow of time

  2. not able to be revoked or repealed; irrevocable

  1. chem physics capable of changing or producing a change in one direction only: an irreversible reaction

  2. thermodynamics (of a change, process, etc) occurring through a number of intermediate states that are not all in thermodynamic equilibrium

Derived forms of irreversible

  • irreversibility or irreversibleness, noun
  • irreversibly, adverb

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