expendable
Americanadjective
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capable of being expended.
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(of an item of equipment or supply) consumed in use or not reusable.
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considered to be not worth keeping or maintaining.
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Military. (of personnel, equipment, or supplies) capable of being sacrificed in order to accomplish a military objective.
noun
adjective
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that may be expended or used up
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not essential; not worth preserving
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able to be sacrificed to achieve an objective, esp a military one
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of expendable
Explanation
Anything expendable is not necessary — it can be done without. If you lose or use expendable funds, you won't miss the money. None of us wants to be called expendable — that means we could be replaced. If a football team isn't worried about certain players leaving for another team, then those players are expendable: they won't be missed and won't disrupt things if they leave. In war, some people are considered more expendable than others: a soldier is more expendable than a general, because there are far fewer generals. In any country, the least expendable person is the president or other leader of the nation. That's why they get so much protection from their security guards, who are considered much more expendable.
Vocabulary lists containing expendable
Power Suffix: -able
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"A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury
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Born a Crime
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Researchers can refine scanning methods and computer algorithms on expendable models rather than experimenting directly on irreplaceable ancient artifacts.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
He gave more authority to lower-ranked military officials to buy the drones they want and called for every squad to have low-cost, expendable drones by this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
The concept combines the reusable winged booster from DLR's long running SpaceLiner program with an expendable upper stage.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
Rockets are typically considered expendable - their various segments being discarded and destroyed during ascent - which makes launching spacecraft expensive.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
My years there created for me an expendable past, disposable as a plastic cup.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
