Irreplaceable
/ˌɪrɪˈpleɪsəbəl/noun
Impossible to replace because of unique value, quality, or significance.
Did you know?The word is built by negating “replaceable,” whose core image is literally putting something back into a place; irreplaceable means it has no equivalent position.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*plat-
“Spread out or flat; a reconstructed root associated with broad surfaces and spaces”
Ancient Greek
Greek
plateia
“Broad street or avenue”
Classical Latin
Latin
platea
“Street, open space, or broad way”
12th Century
Old French
place
“Place, location, or public square”
14th Century
English
replace
“Put back in a place or position”
16th–17th Century
English
replaceable
“Able to be replaced”
Modern English
English
irreplaceable
“Not replaceable; uniquely valuable or impossible to substitute”