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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

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

"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. 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

Etymology

Origin of nonessential

First recorded in 1745–55; non- + 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.

“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

Beauty and personal care, a $68 billion industry, has been a relative bright spot as pressure mounts on food and nonessentials spending.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From MarketWatch

Because of the severe weather, all nonessential emergency personnel have been sent home until such time that the weather allows them to return.

From Literature

Utilities in the Midwest on Saturday directed customers to lower thermostats, unplug “nonessential appliances,” and reduce temperature settings on electric water heaters.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.