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

Nonessential expenses fell by over 25% in February compared with a year earlier, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Nonessential official travel, speeches and other events would be curtailed.

From Reuters • Sep. 29, 2023

Nonessential travel to much of the island’s western coastline has been strongly discouraged since devastating wildfires killed at least 115 people in the historic town of Lahaina last month.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 9, 2023

Nonessential information refers to information that is usually not necessary to the basic meaning of a sentence.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

Nonessential; not necessary belonging; incidental; as, are accidental to a play.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Webster, Noah

Related Words

• unnecessary