From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishirreversibleir‧re‧ver‧si‧ble /ˌɪrɪˈvɜːsəbəl◂ $ -ɜːr-/ AWL adjective 1 STOP something THAT IS HAPPENINGirreversible damage, change etc is so serious or so great that you cannot change something back to how it was before OPP reversible Fossil fuels have caused irreversible damage to the environment2 if an illness or bad physical condition is irreversible, it will continue to exist and cannot be cured Miller is in an irreversible coma. irreversible blindness —irreversibly adverb His reputation was irreversibly damaged by the affair.
Examples from the Corpus
irreversible• Despite claims made by skincare manufacturers, the effects of ageing are irreversible.• But things are changing and some of these changes look irreversible.• Much of this simplification may be irreversible.• The consensus among scientists is that global warming is irreversible.• They intend to build a socialist state, and the revolution which they have begun is irreversible.• New technology has brought about irreversible changes in society.• We urge you to ensure the most stringent environmental assessment procedures are followed before any irreversible damage is done.• A third priority is to stop irreversible damage to the natural environment.• an irreversible decision• Among the drugs that may cause irreversible injury to the vestibular hair cells are streptomycin, neomycin, and gentamicin. 