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Unretrievable - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

Unretrievable means something that cannot be recovered, regained, or restored. It is often used to describe lost data, opportunities, or objects that are permanently gone or inaccessible.

unretrievable

/ˌənrɪˈtriːvəbəl/ /ˌʌnrɪˈtriːvəbəl/

Definition:

Impossible to recover or regain; permanently lost or inaccessible.

Synonyms:

Irrecoverable, irretrievable, lost, gone, unrecoverable

Part of Speech:

adjective

Antonyms:

Retrievable, recoverable, accessible

Common Collocations:

Unretrievable data, unretrievable files, unretrievable memories

Derivatives:

Unretrievably, unretrievability

Usage Tips:

Use "unretrievable" to describe something that cannot be recovered or restored under any circumstances.

Common Phrases:

Gone for good, lost forever, beyond recovery

Etymology:

Derived from "un-" (not) + "retrieve" (to recover) + "-able" (capable of), meaning not capable of being recovered.

Examples:

  • 1. The files were corrupted and are now unretrievable.
  • 2. Her childhood memories felt unretrievable after the accident.
  • 3. Once deleted, the data becomes unretrievable without a backup.
  • 4. The ancient manuscript was damaged and its contents unretrievable.

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