inessential

American  

[in-i-sen-shuhl] / ˌɪn ɪˈsɛn ʃəl /

adjective

1. not essential; not necessary; nonessential.

2. without essence; insubstantial.

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noun

1. that which is not essential.

inessential British  

/ ˌɪnɪˈsɛnʃəl /

adjective

1. not necessary

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noun

1. anything that is not essential

Other Word Forms

• inessentiality
  noun

Etymology

Origin of inessential

First recorded in 1670–80; in- ³ + essential

Explanation

Something inessential isn't terribly important or necessary. While you need certain nutrients to stay alive and healthy, things like doughnuts and milkshakes are inessential parts of your diet. The ornamental fireplace in your house that's never used is inessential, but the wood stove that heats your kitchen all winter is not. Inessential details can complicate books, essays, or legal documents, making them harder to understand. The adjective inessential adds the prefix in-, or "not," to essential, "extremely important," from the Latin root essentia, "being or essence."

Example Sentences

Inessential exposition, and terminology about the tribes’ shared past, abounds throughout the otherwise enthralling quest.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 15, 2022

Inessential, in-es-sen′shal, adj. not essential or necessary: immaterial.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various