Inoperability

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The condition in which something is unable to operate or function properly indicates a failure to perform its designated role
2. A state characterized by the lack of operational capability or effectiveness in a system or component
3. The state of being incapable of working or performing as intended

Etymology: "Inoperability" is a plain formation: the adjective "inoperable" with the noun-forming suffix "-ity" attached. The prefix "in-" means "not," so "inoperable" describes something that cannot be operated or cannot be treated by surgery, and the "-ity" ending turns that quality into a noun. The result names the state of being unable to function or perform as intended. The word's most useful feature is its range. "Inoperable" is most familiar from medicine, where it describes a tumour or condition too risky or too extensive to remove surgically. "Inoperability" carries that sense of being beyond practical repair into engineering and military contexts, where it describes a system or equipment that has failed and cannot be used. The same suffix pattern gives English pairs like "unable" and "inability," or "capable" and "capability."

Synonyms: failure, malfunction, ineffectiveness

Antonyms: functionality, operability