inoperative

adjective

in·​op·​er·​a·​tive (ˌ)in-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv How to pronounce inoperative (audio)
-ˈä-pə-ˌrā-
: not operative: such as
a
: not functioning
an inoperative clock
b
: having no effect or force
an inoperative law
inoperativeness noun

Examples of inoperative in a Sentence

The accident had rendered the vehicle inoperative. With the new federal law in place, the state law has become inoperative.
Recent Examples on the Web Our test Ocean was plagued with squeaky pedals, an inoperative California mode (where the EV drops all its windows save the windscreen) forcing a switch in car mid-test, and poor handling that was supposedly to be fixed with a software update. Jeremy White, WIRED, 18 Mar. 2024 These placebos always involved hardware, but the hardware could be either inoperative or mis-directed. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 26 Sep. 2023 According to a document filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit last October, Caitlyn Peca, a then-rookie officer with the Fowlerville Police Department, pulled over Akima for operating a vehicle with an inoperative headlight on Feb. 19, 2020. David Chiu, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 If the fuel pump module is inoperative, the engine may not start or can stall while riding, increasing the risk of a crash or injury, the company said. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2024 Israeli forces have looked for nodes that, once destroyed, can render other passages running off them effectively inoperative, officials explained. Shane Harris, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2024 More than 30 officers were killed from January to June, and more than 400 police facilities are inoperative because of criminal attacks, according to Human Rights Watch. Dánica Coto, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 2023 The plants will become inoperative in the first half of 2024. William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 7 Aug. 2023 But these small and exposed possessions could easily be rendered inoperative in wartime by the U.S. military. Stephen G. Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inoperative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1631, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inoperative was circa 1631

Dictionary Entries Near inoperative

Cite this Entry

“Inoperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inoperative. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

inoperative

adjective
in·​op·​er·​a·​tive (ˈ)in-ˈäp-(ə-)rət-iv How to pronounce inoperative (audio)
-ˈäp-ə-ˌrāt-
: not functioning : producing no effect
an inoperative law

Legal Definition

inoperative

adjective
in·​op·​er·​a·​tive i-ˈnä-pə-rə-tiv How to pronounce inoperative (audio)
: having no force or effect
an inoperative will

More from Merriam-Webster on inoperative

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