Pick the formal, serious, positive, semi-common word "irreproachable" when you want to call special attention to how good someone is—and how no one else should be criticizing them. It's a more academic version of "squeaky-clean."

You might say that someone's speech, writing, manners, behavior, conduct, decisions, or effort is irreproachable, meaning it's so correct, so careful, and so conscientious that no one could possibly criticize it.

Or, you might say that someone behaves with irreproachable honor, respect, or dignity.

Although the tone of the word is often very positive, it can also be a little defensive, as if you're rushing to fend off any criticism before it can be expressed: "His success as a student and his value as a volunteer are irreproachable, so he should have no trouble getting accepted into college."

And, when you mention that one thing is "irreproachable," you might be dismissing it from the conversation in order to criticize something else. "Although her intentions were irreproachable, her method was hasty and sloppy." "Although his technical mastery is irreproachable, his performance is mechanical and uninspired."

"It’s hard to find two women farther apart in background, education and ideology than Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Romney, yet their convention personas are remarkably similar. They are warm, caring and, most of all, irreproachable helpmates."
— Alessandra Stanley, New York Times, 5 September 2012

"[Kate Middleton, a.k.a. Catherine, Princess of Wales] seems to have been selected for her role of princess because she was irreproachable: as painfully thin as anyone could wish, without quirks, without oddities, without the risk of the emergence of character... [Kate] was a shop-window mannequin, with no personality of her own, entirely defined by what she wore." 
— Hilary Mantel, as quoted by The Guardian, 19 February 2013

has this page helped you understand "irreproachable"?

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Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "irreproachable" without saying "flawless" or "impeccable."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "(Some part of something) is irreproachable. But (some other part) is (flawed in some way)."

Example 1: "The first three episodes of Firefly were irreproachable: witty, entertaining, and beautifully filmed and scored. But the network aired them out of order, which alienated audiences."

Example 2: "[The script for Cameron Crowe's film 'Aloha'] is airtight, his enthusiasm in realizing it is conspicuous, and his messages are irreproachable. But the classic-Hollywood frameworks that Crowe borrows are themselves products of a time of nearly unquestioned exclusions and distinctions."
— Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 29 May 2015

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

This month, our game is "Smorgasbord of Wordly Lore!"

Try a trivia question each day. It’ll have something to do with a food or a drink. You can play on hard mode by answering the question cold, or play on easy mode by highlighting the multiple choice options. To see the correct answer, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!

Try this one today; it's a twofer. In the French versions of the Harry Potter books, first, there's a place called Poudlard ("bacon lice"). What is it called in the English books? Second, everyone at Poudlard needs une baguette. It's not a loaf of bread; what is it?

Highlight below to reveal the multiple choice options.…
A. Poudlard is the train station, King's Cross, and baguettes are tickets.
B. Poudlard is the school, Hogwarts, and baguettes are magic wands.
C. Poudlard is the magical village, Hogsmeade, and baguettes are mugs of butterbeer.

review this word:

1. The precise opposite of IRREPROACHABLE is REPROACHABLE. But a pretty close opposite of IRREPROACHABLE is

A. FLAWED.
B. PLANNED.
C. UTILIZED.

2. It's dangerous to think of leaders as irreproachable; we should be able to _____.

A. bring important concerns to their attention
B. replace them when they are no longer able to serve
C. call them out for their mistakes and hold them accountable

Answers to the review questions: 1. A 2. C Answer to the game question: Poudlard is the school, Hogwarts, and baguettes are magic wands.

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.