adjective
irreversible
ihr-ih-VUR-suh-buhl
adjective
1
Impossible to change back to how it was before; permanent.
"The surgery caused irreversible damage to her hearing."
"Climate change is causing some irreversible effects on coral reefs."
2
(science) Describing a process that cannot run backwards without extra energy being added.
"Mixing two gases together is an irreversible process in thermodynamics."
How to Use Irreversible
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething that, once done, cannot be undone.
Common pairings
irreversible damage
irreversible decision
irreversible process
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The surgery caused _____ damage to her hearing.
Etymology
Formed from ir- ("not") plus reversible.