Inoperable
/ˌɪnˈɒp.ər.ə.bəl/noun
Not able to be operated on or used effectively, especially of a medical condition or machine.
Did you know?Inoperable is built from Latin *operari* (“to work, perform, labor”), the same root behind *operate*, *cooperate*, and even the old sacred idea that action itself can be a kind of force.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
operari
“to work, labor, perform”
Late Latin
Latin
operabilis
“able to be worked on or done”
16th Century
English
operable
“capable of being done or worked”
17th Century
English
inoperable
“not capable of being done or worked”
Modern English
English
inoperable
“not able to be operated on or used effectively”