inoperable
adjective
in·op·er·a·ble
(ˌ)in-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-bəl 
1
: not treatable or remediable by surgery
an inoperable brain tumor
2
: not functioning : inoperative
Examples of inoperable in a Sentence
a patient with inoperable cancer
The device makes the car inoperable when a key is not used to start it.
Recent Examples on the Web
For instance, in May 2025, engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the missions, successfully revived a set of thrusters aboard Voyager 1 that had been considered inoperable since 2004.
—
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Funds are available to help income-eligible households with natural gas, propane and/or electric bills and inoperable heating systems, a county news release said.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
These instances will be limited to unsafe or inoperable vehicles, which cannot be physically driven to the inspection location.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 2 Sep. 2025
Inflation started to take off on the heels of the new framework taking effect and eventually reached a four-decade peak in 2022, rendering the strategy inoperable.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperable
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Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Funds are available to help income-eligible households with natural gas, propane and/or electric bills and inoperable heating systems, a county news release said.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
These instances will be limited to unsafe or inoperable vehicles, which cannot be physically driven to the inspection location.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 2 Sep. 2025
Inflation started to take off on the heels of the new framework taking effect and eventually reached a four-decade peak in 2022, rendering the strategy inoperable.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoperable
Cite this Entry
“Inoperable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inoperable. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inoperable
adjective
in·op·er·a·ble
(ˈ)in-ˈäp-(ə-)rə-bəl
1
: not treatable by surgery
an inoperable cancer
2
: not in working order : inoperative
Medical Definition
inoperable
adjective
in·op·er·a·ble
(ˈ)in-ˈäp-(ə-)rə-bəl
: not treatable or remediable by or suitable for surgery
an advanced and inoperable cancer
a developing cataract still inoperable
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