definitions

nonessential

[ non-uh-sen-shuhl ]
/ ˌnɒn əˈsɛn ʃəl /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR nonessential ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not essential; not necessary: Nonessential use of gasoline was forbidden during the war.

noun

a nonessential thing or person.

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RELATED WORDS

accidental, random, ancillary, coincidental, casual, secondary, paltry, pointless, minuscule, senseless, inconsequential, meaningless, unimportant, infinitesimal, negligible, minor, irrelevant, meager, trivial, minimal

Nearby words

nonelectrolyte, nonempty, nonentity, nonequivalence, nones, nonessential, nonessential amino acid, nonesuch, nonet, nonetheless, nonethnic

Origin of nonessential

First recorded in 1745–55; non- + essential
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for non-essential

British Dictionary definitions for non-essential

nonessential

/ (ˌnɒnɪˈsɛnʃəl) /

adjective

not essential; not necessary
biochem (of an amino acid in a particular organism) able to be synthesized from other substances

noun

a nonessential person or thing
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for non-essential

nonessential

[ nŏn′ĭ-sĕn′shəl ]

adj.

Being a substance required for normal functioning but not needed in the diet because the body can synthesize it.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.