nonessential
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
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not essential; not necessary
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biochem (of an amino acid in a particular organism) able to be synthesized from other substances
noun
Etymology
Origin of nonessential
Vocabulary lists containing nonessential
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.
In March, the government rolled out fuel rationing, encouraging citizens to walk amid a growing transportation crisis, and later put nonessential state workers on leave to keep them at home.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
Plus, your credit-card debt is manageable, especially if you aim to cut some of your nonessential monthly expenses.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026
The IEA’s recommendations also include slower highway speeds, greater use of public transport and car sharing, cutting nonessential air travel and encouraging electric cooking, among other measures.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
State Department telling nonessential staff to get out of Saudi Arabia after attacks there killed workers from India and Bangladesh.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026
A book about one of Lady Franklin’s rescue missions, The Voyage of the Fox, was among the nonessential stores and equipment left behind at Ocean Camp.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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.
