inoperative

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv How to pronounce inoperative (audio)
Definition of inoperativenext
1
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment be careful when putting your hands in even an inoperative garbage disposal

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2
as in malfunctioning
not being in working order looking for an expert to fix the inoperative grandfather clock

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3
as in invalid
having no legal or binding force the decision of the state's supreme court has rendered the law inoperative

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inoperative The agency has also probed 2021 Tesla Model Y vehicles after reports of exterior door handles becoming inoperative due to low battery voltage, leading to instances of children stuck inside. — Andrea Guzmán, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026 The Info menu indicates the right rear sensor is inoperative. — John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026 Of those who reported incidents, none saw a low voltage battery warning before the exterior door handles became inoperative. — Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2025 But the speed came from all three levels of Green Bay’s defense, rendering Washington’s offense almost inoperative. — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inoperative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inoperative
  1. dormant
  2. malfunctioning
  3. invalid
  4. off
  5. inoperable
  6. null
  7. vacant
  8. down
Adjective
  • Brighouse’s brother died suddenly, and the footage sat dormant for many years.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, Dak Prescott tends to lead the way, but their running game isn’t exactly dormant.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of dormant
Adjective
  • Homeowners reported a swift meeting at which officers discussed a reorganization of their specific duties and the hiring of an elevator expert to fix the chronically malfunctioning, overloaded elevators.
    — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Watching the first episode of Ultimate Girl’s Trip is like riding in a malfunctioning time machine.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of malfunctioning
Adjective
  • But what was that invalid-fair-catch penalty on his next attempt?
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In the years that followed, Urbagestion argued that Abascal’s retention of the apartment was invalid and that the contract’s timing was no longer applicable.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of invalid
Adjective
  • Mix these finds into your work wardrobe or your off-duty ensembles—they’re versatile enough to do it all, and the festive palette is worth drooling over.
    — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Caminero is one of those players who, even amid a 162-game season, spends his off days watching baseball.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of off
Adjective
  • On Lanai, one of Hawaii's smallest main islands, storm damage rendered a harbor that supplies much of the food and fuel to its 3,300 residents inoperable.
    — GENE JOHNSON, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • One factor contributing the repair delays – but unmentioned by the GAO report – is acknowledgement that the Washington shipyard at Bremerton on Puget Sound is built on a fault line and four of its dry docks are inoperable following an earthquake.
    — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of inoperable
Adjective
  • For one, null results—in this case, findings that are not unusual or revelatory—are still useful.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 4 June 2026
  • However, in the face of an increasing number of null results, most notably in studies published in late 2025, most physicists now agree that this sterile neutrino doesn’t exist.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of null
Adjective
  • To the west was mostly more vacant land stretching to the river.
    — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • However, in this case, the two Democratic seats in the minority are currently vacant, and one Republican seat is about to be vacated.
    — Tzachi Zach, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of vacant
Adjective
  • College enrollments are down and tuition revenue has dropped, plunging many universities into the red, despite increasing their prices.
    — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Skydance shares closed down about 7% in day two of trading Wednesday after a dip the day before, a second down session in a rocky NYSE debut for the merged company as investors started to weigh in.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of down

Browse Nearby Words

inoperable
inoperative
inopportune
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Cite this Entry

“Inoperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inoperative. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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