iron·clad
ˈī(-ə)rn-ˈklad 
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
iron·clad
ˈī(-ə)rn-ˌklad
: 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
Hans Kristian Aas, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
And on security, Ukraine is seeking ironclad guarantees against Russian aggression in the future, including Western peacekeeping troops on the ground.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Others aren’t so sure about that ironclad proclamation.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ironclad
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Adjective
Security must be embedded directly into the infrastructure, invisible to the customer but ironclad in practice.
—Hans Kristian Aas, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
And on security, Ukraine is seeking ironclad guarantees against Russian aggression in the future, including Western peacekeeping troops on the ground.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
And on security, Ukraine is seeking ironclad guarantees against Russian aggression in the future, including Western peacekeeping troops on the ground.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Others aren’t so sure about that ironclad proclamation.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ironclad
Cite this Entry
“Ironclad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ironclad. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ironclad
1 of 2 adjective
iron·clad
-ˈklad
1
: covered by iron armor
2
: rigorous sense 1, exacting
ironclad laws
ironclad
2 of 2 noun
iron·clad
-ˌklad
: an armored naval vessel
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