Meaning & use
irremovable
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparableformal
Impossible to remove, take away, or get rid of.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: 'an irremovable stain' or 'the stain is irremovable'. It has no comparative forms.
Patterns
- irremovable object
- be irremovable
- something is irremovable from something
The ink left an irremovable mark on the wooden desk.
The judge described the legal barrier as irremovable.
Her memory of that day seemed irremovable, no matter how hard she tried to forget.
adjectivenot comparableformallegal
Unable to be dismissed from a position or office.
Grammar: Used mainly in formal or legal contexts before a noun: 'an irremovable official'. No comparative form.
Patterns
- irremovable judge
- irremovable official
- be irremovable from office
Under the old rules, senior judges were irremovable except by a special vote.
The board wanted a leader who was not irremovable and could be replaced if necessary.
Some civil servants were considered irremovable once they had served for twenty years.
Common combinations
- irremovable stain
- The red wine left an irremovable stain on the carpet.
- irremovable mark
- Years of use had made an irremovable mark on the stone steps.
- irremovable obstacle
- They saw the lack of funding as an irremovable obstacle to the project.
- seem irremovable
- The old manager seemed irremovable until the company was sold.
- irremovable from
- The statue was irremovable from its base without special equipment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- permanent
- Permanent means lasting a very long time or forever, but it does not always suggest that removal is impossible; irremovable is stronger and more absolute.
- fixed
- Fixed means fastened or set in place; it can often be undone, while irremovable suggests it cannot be undone at all.
- ineradicable
- Ineradicable is a very formal synonym meaning impossible to destroy completely; it is used more for ideas or feelings than for physical objects.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: irremovable or irreversible?
irremovable vs irreversible
Irreversible means impossible to change back or undo, often used for decisions or damage; irremovable means impossible to take away or remove physically.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'irremovable' most naturally.
Choose one answer.
Option 1 is correct because 'irremovable' describes something that cannot be removed, like a label stuck with strong glue. Option 0 contradicts the meaning by saying you can move it. Option 2 uses an adjective where an adverb or verb is needed. Option 3 uses 'irremovable' to describe weather, which is not a natural collocation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “irremovable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.