ironclad
adjective
iron·clad
| \ ˈī(-ə)rn-ˈklad
\
\
Definition of ironclad
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: sheathed in iron armor
—used especially of naval vessels
2
: so firm or secure as to be unbreakable: such as
a
: binding
an ironclad oath
b
: having no obvious weakness
an ironclad case against the defendant
ironclad
noun
iron·clad
| \ ˈī(-ə)rn-ˌklad
\
\
Definition of ironclad (Entry 2 of 2)
: an armored naval vessel especially of the mid to late 19th century
Examples of ironclad in a Sentence
Adjective
The company has an ironclad policy against revealing secrets to competitors. He has an ironclad alibi.Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Most troublingly, the decline is steepest in small towns and rural areas whose communities were once ironclad. — The Economist, "What the mighty Dolphins say about America," 1 Aug. 2019 In the earliest days—the days of Loie Fuller, Isadora Duncan, Ruth St. Denis, and then, in the next generation, Charles Weidman, Doris Humphrey, and others—the system was pretty ironclad. — Joan Acocella, The New Yorker, "Can Modern Dance Be Preserved?," 24 June 2019 What’s constant is that an otherwise ironclad rule of life gets flipped to glorious effect. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Cruising in the Age of Consent," 19 June 2019 Notwithstanding this leakiness in the export ban, Mr Trump’s G20 concession is a sign that America’s commitment to containing Huawei is not ironclad. — The Economist, "Donald Trump eases off Huawei as firms discover holes in his export ban," 4 July 2019 Meanwhile, despite their many letters, warm salutations and shared affection for the architect, Zanco's grip on Barragán's archives is ironclad, her resolve unshakable. — Barbara Vandenburgh, azcentral, "In 'The Proposal,’ filmmaker seeks to free the work of a renowned Mexican architect," 19 June 2019 But Catherine, her aunt and manager, stymies her ambitions both with an ironclad contractual agreement and with a sleazy doctor who keeps Ashley on a diet of docility-ensuring drugs. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Black Mirror’s Miley Cyrus Episode Isn’t That Far-Fetched," 6 June 2019 The deep contrast between the two shows that the song itself was ironclad but not inert; that even the most hallowed of recordings could even be improved on with inventiveness and sheer force of charisma. — Andrew R. Chow, Time, "Yesterday’s Beatles Covers Don’t Come Together. Here’s How the Movie Could Have Done Them Justice," 28 June 2019 Too many cases involving potential felonies are resolved through civil settlements that include ironclad NDAs. — David Von Drehle, Twin Cities, "David Von Drehle: Jeffrey Epstein’s scandal of secrecy points to a creeping rot in the American justice system," 19 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
During the Civil War, Eads won a contract to build Union ironclads. — Mike Scott, NOLA.com, "Meet the man who tamed the Mississippi -- and saved the port of New Oreans," 1 May 2018 In 1862, during the Civil War, the ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (formerly USS Merrimac) clashed for five hours to a draw at Hampton Roads, Va. — BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 9 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ironclad.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ironclad
ironclad
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of ironclad
: not able to be changed
: too strong to be doubted or questioned
See the full definition for ironclad in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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