oåterkallellig

oåterkallellig is a Swedish adjective used to describe something that cannot be recalled, withdrawn, or revoked; in effect, it means irrevocable. The term is formed with the negating prefix o- attached to återkallellig, a root related to återkalla, which means to call back or revoke. The combination signals that recall or revocation is not possible.

The word appears mostly in older or highly formal language, such as legal, philosophical, or historical writing. In contemporary Swedish, speakers often prefer more common expressions like irreversibel or simply describe the item as irrevocable without using this exact form. Because oåterkallellig is relatively rare, it may be encountered mainly in literary or technical contexts rather than everyday speech.

Usage notes and examples:

- Ett oåterkalleligt beslut describes a decision that cannot be reversed.

- It is typically used attributively (before the noun) and agrees with the noun in number and definiteness, e.g., ett oåterkalleligt kontrakt, de oåterkalleliga åtgärderna.

- As with many negated prefixes in Swedish, the word is most common in formal prose; in ordinary conversation, alternatives such as irreversibel or merely “ett beslut som inte kan dras tillbaka” may be preferred.

Relatives and related terms:

- återkallelse (the act of recalling or revoking)

- återkallelbar/återkalleliga (revocable)

- irreversibel (borrowed/loanword for irreversible)

See also discussions of immutability and irrevocability in Swedish-language legal and philosophical vocabularies.