irreplaceably
1
6.3
- adverb
- /ˌɪrɪˈpleɪsəblɪ/
- He realized that her presence in his life was irreplaceably important, and he couldn't imagine a future without her.
Examples
-
Her grandmother's handmade quilts were irreplaceably special to her, filled with memories of childhood.
-
Social workers are uniquely and irreplaceably prepared to address the problem of GBV by offering new culturally specific strategies, enhanced advocacy, and greater awareness of this issue.
Academic text (2009) -
But the fact that you don't have to fall short of that means that you are irreplaceably valuable.
-
It is here, in the cardinal and dominant placement of human freedom, that Berdyaev again returns to political philosophy and becomes irreplaceably important in the political dialogue both in modern Russia and in modern political thought.
Academic text (1991) -
The ancient tree was irreplaceably part of the landscape, providing shade and beauty for generations.
Synonyms
5
8.1
In a way that cannot be changed back
1
8.8
In a way that cannot be given back or fixed
1
7.8
In a way that cannot be fixed or returned to how it was before
How Replaceable
Surface Forms
Morphology
irreplaceably = irreplaceable (transparent) = ir + replace + able + ly
The adverb is the regular -ly form of 'irreplaceable', which itself is analyzable as 'ir-' + 'replace' + '-able', so the meaning is directly derivable.
Etymology
Irreplaceably starts with ir- meaning 'not' and the rest is replace, which means 'put back in place', as when you replace a broken cup. So irreplaceably describes something that 'cannot be put back' or 'cannot be replaced by anything else'.