irretrievable
/,iri'tri:vəbl/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Impossible to recover, regain, or rectify: Describes something that is lost, damaged, or gone beyond any possibility of being retrieved, restored, or corrected.
- Beyond remedy or repair: Pertains to a situation, loss, or error that is so complete or final that it cannot be overcome or compensated for.
Usage
The adjective "irretrievable" is used to describe a state of permanent loss or an irreversible condition. It is a formal term, often used in serious, legal, financial, or grave personal contexts to emphasize finality. It typically modifies abstract nouns like loss, damage, error, breakdown, or decline.
Examples
- Adjective:
- The fire caused irretrievable damage to the historical archives.
- He realized his trust in the company was irretrievable after the scandal.
- The lawsuit was dropped due to irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.
- Some believe the data loss from the crash is irretrievable.
Advanced Usage
- "Irretrievably" (Adverb): In a manner that is impossible to recover from.
- The relationship had broken down irretrievably.
- "Irretrievability" (Noun): The quality or state of being irretrievable (less common).
- The report highlighted the irretrievability of the lost funds.
Variants and Related Words
- Irretrievably (adv): Permanently, irrevocably, beyond recovery.
- The document was irretrievably corrupted.
- Retrievable (adj): (Antonym) Capable of being recovered or restored.
- Fortunately, the deleted files were retrievable.
Synonyms
- Irrecoverable: Impossible to recover or regain.
- Irreversible: Not able to be undone or altered.
- Irreparable: Impossible to rectify or repair.
- Irrevocable: Not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered.
- Lost: No longer possessed or accessible.
Antonyms
- Retrievable: Able to be gotten back or recovered.
- Recoverable: Capable of being regained or restored.
- Reversible: Able to be changed back to a previous state.
- Reparable: Capable of being fixed or made good.
Common Collocations
- Irretrievable loss: A loss that can never be compensated for.
- Irretrievable breakdown: A complete and permanent failure (often of a relationship or system).
- Irretrievable error: A mistake that cannot be corrected.
- Irretrievable damage: Harm that is permanent and beyond repair.
Adjective
- impossible to recover or recoup or overcome
- an irretrievable loss
- irretrievable errors in judgment