How Do You Spell IRRETRIEVABLE?

Pronunciation: [ɪɹɪtɹˈiːvəbə͡l] (IPA)

The word "irretrievable" is spelled with three syllables and pronounced /ˌɪrɪˈtriːvəbəl/. The first syllable is pronounced with a short "i" sound followed by "r" and "e". In the second syllable, the "e" is silent and therefore not pronounced. The third syllable is pronounced with a long "e" sound followed by "v", "a", and "b". The word means something that cannot be recovered or restored, and is often used in legal or academic contexts to describe situations that are irreversible.

IRRETRIEVABLE Meaning and Definition

1. The term "irretrievable" is commonly used as an adjective to describe something that is impossible to recover, restore, or retrieve. It indicates a state of permanent loss, where the object, situation, or condition is deemed unable to be reversed, repaired, or brought back to its original state or value.

   In the context of tangible objects, irretrievable refers to something that cannot be regained or retrieved due to being lost, destroyed, or damaged beyond repair. For instance, if a valuable artifact is irretrievably destroyed in a fire, it means that there is no possibility of retrieving or restoring it to its original form.

   The term can also be applied to non-physical aspects, such as irretrievable time or irreversible decisions. When used to describe time, it signifies that the moments or opportunities that have passed cannot be regained or recovered. In relation to decisions, the word emphasizes the permanent impact of choices made, implying that they cannot be reversed or rectified.

   Furthermore, the term can extend to abstract and intangible concepts like irretrievable trust, indicating that once trust is broken or lost, it cannot be fully recovered or restored to its previous state. In such cases, irretrievable denotes an irreversible loss of confidence or faith.

   In summary, "irretrievable" signifies a state of permanent and irreversible loss, whether it relates to physical objects, time, decisions, or intangible elements like trust.

2. Not to be retrieved; not to be recovered or repaired.

   Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Top Common Misspellings for IRRETRIEVABLE *

• irretrevable 100%

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for IRRETRIEVABLE

• irretreivable
• unretrainable
• irreterrievable
• iretriveable
• Irrealievable

Etymology of IRRETRIEVABLE

The word "irretrievable" is derived from the combination of two Latin roots: "in-" meaning "not" or "without", and "retrievare" meaning "to recover" or "to regain". These roots form the Latin word "irretrievabilis", which means "not able to be recovered". The English word "irretrievable" developed from this Latin term, retaining the same meaning of something that cannot be regained or recovered.

Similar spelling word for IRRETRIEVABLE

• irretrievably.