Meaning & use
non-salvageable
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Meaning
adjectivebefore a noun
Too badly damaged to be saved, repaired, or recovered.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: 'a non-salvageable wreck'. It can also follow a linking verb: 'The car is non-salvageable.'
Patterns
- be non-salvageable
- a non-salvageable item
- declare something non-salvageable
After the fire, the house was declared non-salvageable.
The insurance company said the flooded car was non-salvageable.
They tried to repair the old boat, but it was non-salvageable.
Common combinations
- non-salvageable wreck
- The storm left a non-salvageable wreck on the shore.
- declared non-salvageable
- The building was declared non-salvageable after the earthquake.
- non-salvageable condition
- The painting arrived in non-salvageable condition.
- non-salvageable loss
- The company reported a non-salvageable loss of equipment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- irreparable
- Means cannot be repaired; 'non-salvageable' is broader and can mean cannot be saved or recovered at all.
- unsalvageable
- A common variant with the same meaning; 'non-salvageable' is a bit more formal.
- beyond repair
- A phrase meaning too damaged to fix; it focuses on repair, while 'non-salvageable' can also mean lost entirely.
Opposites
Word family
- salvage verb
- To save something from damage or loss.
- salvageable adjective
- Able to be saved or repaired.
- salvage noun
- The act of saving something, or the things saved.
Commonly confused: non-salvageable or unsalvageable?
non-salvageable vs unsalvageable
Same meaning, but 'unsalvageable' is more common in everyday speech; 'non-salvageable' is often used in official reports.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'non-salvageable' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Non-salvageable' means too damaged to save, so throwing the furniture away fits. The other options describe things that are still usable or repairable.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “non-salvageable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.