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Showing results for unessential. Search instead for unessentials.
Synonyms

unessential

American  
[uhn-uh-sen-shuhl] / ˌʌn əˈsɛn ʃəl /

adjective

  1. not of prime importance; not indispensable.

    Synonyms:
    unimportant, dispensable, unnecessary

noun

  1. an unessential thing; nonessential.

unessential British  
/ ˌʌnɪˈsɛnʃəl /

adjective

  1. a less common word for inessential

"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

noun

  1. something that is not essential

"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

Other Word Forms

  • unessentially adverb

Etymology

Origin of unessential

First recorded in 1650–60; un- 1 + essential

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.

The use of lighting that is brighter than needed, or turned on at unessential times, has caused a widespread global fog of light.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2024

Buses and trains were cancelled in the Skane region on Thursday morning and authorities urged people to avoid unessential travel.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2024

The JMA urged residents in the area to avoid unessential outings and warned of potential mudslides, flooding and thunderstorms.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 14, 2023

Satie’s genius was in his removal of all that was unessential yet leaving in all that felt ambiguous.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2020

But all this part of it seemed remote and unessential.

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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.