Meanings
comparative more irretrievable · superlative most irretrievable
- Not retrievable; irrecoverable; irreparable
an irretrievable loss
1 more example
But, having hung him, you cannot unhang him. With all your liability to err, you dare to take a step, which, if wrong at all, is infinitely so, because irretrievable.
1844, The Western Law Journal, volume 2, page 272
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveimpossible to recover or recoup or overcome
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*né
- Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
- Proto-Italic*n̥-
- Latinin-
- Latinir-
- Englishir-
- Englishretrieve
- Englishretrievable
- Englishirretrievable
From ir- + retrievable.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian невъзвратим, непоправим
- невъзвратим (nevăzvratim)not retrievable
- непоправим (nepopravim)not retrievable
Dutch onherstelbaar, niet meer ongedaan te maken
- onherstelbaarnot retrievable
- niet meer ongedaan te makennot retrievable
Finnish peruuttamaton
- peruuttamatonnot retrievable
French irrécupérable, irrécouvrable
- irrécupérablenot retrievable
- irrécouvrablenot retrievable
- irréparablenot retrievable
- irrémédiablenot retrievable
Polish niepowetowany
- niepowetowanynot retrievable
Cite this entry
irretrievable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/irretrievable
“irretrievable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/irretrievable. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “irretrievable,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/irretrievable.
Source: irretrievable on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.