irréparable

Ir réparable is a French adjective meaning not reparable, not able to be repaired or remedied, and by extension irrecoverable. It can describe physical damage, material losses, or consequences and events whose effects cannot be undone or cured. The term is built from the negating prefix in- attached to réparable, with assimilation before the letter r producing ir-; the full form carries the -able suffix standard to French adjectives.

In usage, irréparable is commonly paired with nouns such as dommages irréparables (irreparable damages), perte irréparable (irrecoverable loss), erreur irréparable (ir reparable mistake), and préjudice irréparable (irreparable harm). In legal language it often appears in phrases like dommages et intérêts irréparables to denote harm that cannot be adequately compensated by monetary damages alone. The adjective agrees with the noun in number, but not in gender, since the masculine and feminine singular forms are the same, while the plural becomes irréparables.

A nominalized form, l’irréparable, can be used in literary or philosophical contexts to refer to irretrievable events or outcomes. In translation, irréparable corresponds to English irreparable, irrecoverable, or irremediable depending on context. It is distinct from irrémédiable, another French adjective that can carry a sense of finality or being beyond remedy, though the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably in everyday language.