nonessential

American  

[non-uh-sen-shuhl] / ˌnɒn əˈsɛn ʃəl /

Or non-essential

adjective

1. not essential; not necessary.

   Nonessential use of gasoline was forbidden during the war.

   Synonyms:

   extrinsic, incidental, unnecessary

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noun

1. a nonessential thing or person.

nonessential British  

/ ˌnɒnɪˈsɛnʃəl /

adjective

1. not essential; not necessary

2. biochem (of an amino acid in a particular organism) able to be synthesized from other substances

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noun

1. a nonessential person or thing

Etymology

Origin of nonessential

First recorded in 1745–55; non- + essential

Example Sentences

Could you go a full month without making a single nonessential purchase?

From The Wall Street Journal

To save money, the state will defer nonessential capital improvements, along with other methods.

From Barron's

To save money, the state will defer nonessential capital improvements, along with other methods.

From Barron's

To save money, the state will defer nonessential capital improvements, along with other methods.

From Barron's

It is a challenge to eliminate purchases of anything nonessential—like clothes, skin-care products and electronics—for the entire 31 days of January.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• unnecessary