irreversible

/ˌɪɹɪˈvɜːsəbəl/ih-rih-VUR-suh-buhl

/ˌɪɹɪˈvɝsəbəl/ih-rih-VUR-suh-buhl

Meaningunable to be turned back

Common meaning: that cannot be turned back or undone

irnot
reagain; back
versto turnLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1977 · scan
ibleable to be

‘not’ + ‘again’ + ‘to turn’ → irreversible

Journey through time

Latinvertō, vertī, versum‘to turn’
Frenchrevers
Englishirreversible‘that cannot be turned back or undone’ · today

ir- also in: irrigate irregular irreducible irremovable irremovably

re- also in: react rebel relax repel reply

vers also in: universe subversion anniversary irreversibly noncontroversial

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin vertō ‘to turn’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry vertō, p. 1977 · dictionary scan

Roots

vertō, vertī, versum Latin “to turn”

Related words

anniversary irreversibly noncontroversial subversion universe

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