irreformable

irreformable — adjective

  • irreformablepositive
  • more irreformablecomparative
  • most irreformablesuperlative

1. describes a person whose bad habits or negative qualities are so deeply fixed th

1.adjectiveC2
Definition

describes a person whose bad habits or negative qualities are so deeply fixed that no effort can make them improve or behave in a better way

Example

After three prison terms, the judge called Ryan an irreformable criminal who would not change.

predicative use: [person] is/was irreformable

Lucas still borrows money without paying it back, an irreformable habit that upsets his friends.

collocation: irreformable habit

Common collocations
  • irreformable criminal
  • irreformable habit
  • irreformable liar
  • irreformable optimist
  • irreformable troublemaker
Synonyms
  • incorrigible

    much more common; used in everyday contexts

  • unreformable

    same meaning but less frequent than irreformable

  • irredeemable

    stronger moral or religious tone; suggests beyond saving

Antonyms
  • reformable

    able to be improved or changed for the better

Grammar Patterns

irreformable + noun

be + irreformable

Usage Note

Typically used about people with deeply rooted negative traits. Less commonly used about positive qualities, and when it is, it carries a tone of gentle humour.

Common Mistakes

The broken window was irreformable.
The broken window was irreparable.
'irreformable' applies to people or behaviour, not to objects or damage. Use 'irreparable' for physical damage.

2. describes a rule, law, agreement, or system that is permanently fixed so that no

2.adjectiveC2
Definition

describes a rule, law, agreement, or system that is permanently fixed so that nobody can change, update, or remove any part of it

Example

The constitution contained irreformable rules that no future government could ever remove.

attributive: irreformable [rules/laws]

Harper learned that the new visa rules were irreformable for the next ten years.

predicative: [rules] are irreformable

Common collocations
  • irreformable clause
  • irreformable rule
  • irreformable law
  • irreformable deadline
  • irreformable term
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

irreformable + noun

be + irreformable

Usage Note

Common in legal and political contexts. The thing described (clause, rule, deadline) is treated as permanently fixed by authority, not by nature.

Common Mistakes

The weather is irreformable this week.
The weather is unchangeable this week.
'irreformable' is used for man-made rules or systems, not natural conditions.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe someone who cannot be improved, but they differ in scope and formality. 'Incorrigible' is the most common of the group and can be used in everyday conversation, often about small bad habits: 'My cat is an incorrigible food thief.' 'Irredeemable' carries a stronger moral or religious sense — it suggests that the person is beyond saving, not just beyond changing: 'The villain in the story was completely irredeemable.' 'Unreformable' is a direct synonym of 'irreformable' but is even rarer. Choose 'incorrigible' for general use, 'irredeemable' for serious moral judgement, and 'irreformable' when you need a formal, precise legal or literary tone.

incorrigible ↗irredeemableunreformable

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Formed from the Latin negative prefix 'ir-' (meaning 'not') attached to 'reformāre' (meaning 'to form again, to improve'). The word entered English in the early 1600s, originally used in religious and moral contexts to describe sinners who could not be reformed.

First known use

1609

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1