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

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

“New York City has not faced a storm of this scale in the last decade,” he said, urging residents to avoid nonessential travel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

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

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

Since MLK Day is a federal holiday, all nonessential federal government offices are closed.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 16, 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

Related Words

• unnecessary