irreconcilable

1 of 2

adjective

ir·​rec·​on·​cil·​able i-ˌre-kən-ˈsī-lə-bəl How to pronounce irreconcilable (audio)
-ˈre-kən-ˌsī-,
ˌi(r)-
: impossible to reconcile
irreconcilable differences
irreconcilability noun
irreconcilableness noun
irreconcilably
i-ˌre-kən-ˈsī-lə-blē How to pronounce irreconcilable (audio)
-ˈre-kən-ˌsī-
ˌi(r)
adverb

irreconcilable

2 of 2

noun

: one that is irreconcilable
especially : a member of a group (such as a political party) opposing compromise or collaboration

Examples of irreconcilable in a Sentence

Adjective theories that are irreconcilable with each other
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Nothing in the original Constitution was irreconcilable with a color-blind society in which there was no slavery. Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023 Carrying those irreconcilable narratives, politicians have begun parading through East Palestine with their own agendas to pursue. Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023 Matson Photograph Collection, Library of Congress Over the following decades, two nationalisms, Palestinian and Jewish, took root on the same land and began to compete in a way that has ever since proved irreconcilable. Emily Bazelon, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2024 When a person’s in a double bind, they’re confronted with two irreconcilable demands and feel set-up to fail. Talia Milgrom-Elcott, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 The issues involved feel irreconcilable, because many of those engaged in the debate believe that their positions represent the moral high ground. Charles Blow, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2024 There’s an irreconcilable gap between the singer during performance and her at home being chased by an angry husband or lovingly tending to her children or drinking the ache of comedown from her tour away. Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023 Or, to be more precise, two conceptions of the relationship between human beings and the natural world, which today might seem irreconcilable to us. Anderson Tepper, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023 What looked like the monoculture of American life in 1960, distilled down into the pristine clarity of the domestic TV situational comedy, is instantly remade into a portrait of irreconcilable divisions. Vulture, 6 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'irreconcilable.' 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

Adjective

1587, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1748, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of irreconcilable was in 1587

Dictionary Entries Near irreconcilable

Cite this Entry

“Irreconcilable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irreconcilable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

irreconcilable

adjective
ir·​rec·​on·​cil·​able
(ˌ)ir-ˌ(r)ek-ən-ˈsī-lə-bəl,
(ˈ)ir-ˈ(r)ek-ən-ˌsī-
: impossible to reconcile, adjust, or harmonize
ended the partnership because of irreconcilable differences
irreconcilably
-blē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on irreconcilable

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