irrevocable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of irrevocable
First recorded in 1350–1400; a Middle English word from the Latin word irrevocābilis; see ir- 2, revocable
Explanation
If you're on a diet but eat one tiny piece of chocolate, it might start an irrevocable slide into bad eating. Describe something as irrevocable if it cannot be undone or taken back. If you break down irrevocable, you wind up with ir "not," re "back" and vocable from the Latin vocare "to call." So if something is irrevocable, you cannot call it back — it is permanent. You must fulfill an irrevocable promise and live with an irrevocable decision. A law is irrevocable if it states within the law that it cannot be nullified. Now that's final!
Vocabulary lists containing irrevocable
Grade 9, List 3
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"The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe
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The Bluest Eye
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The court heard they had made "an irrevocable renunciation" of their right to prosecute Ross over that incident.
From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026
As to your question about trusts, Waters Sullivan, a Birmingham, Ala.-based law firm, notes the difference between irrevocable trusts and revocable trusts.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026
A word of caution: Any money you deposit in such an account is an irrevocable gift, meaning you cannot take it back and that the funds have been removed from your estate.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
While irrevocable trusts are permanent structures, the assets within them are flexible and can be swapped at any time with different similarly valued assets—a strategy worth considering during times of extreme swings in market values.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
He could see the opposed forces of his destiny and his will drawing swiftly together now, toward a junction that would be irrevocable; he became cunning.
From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
