inoperative

/ˌɪˈnɒpəətɪv/ih-NO-pur-uh-tiv

/ˌɪˈnɑpɚətɪv/ih-NAH-pur-uh-tiv

Meaningnot working

Common meaning: not working or not in force

inin, into; (before adjectives) not
operwork, a piece of workLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1267 · scan
ativeadjective ending: tending to

‘in, into’ + ‘work, a piece of work’ → inoperative

Journey through time

Latinopus, operis‘work, a piece of work’
Englishinoperative‘not working or not in force’ · today

in- also in: incest incite induce infamy infant

oper also in: opera postoperative nonoperational postoperatively

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin opus ‘work, a piece of work’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry opus, p. 1267 · dictionary scan

Roots

opus, operis Latin “work, a piece of work”

Related words

nonoperational opera postoperative postoperatively

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