indispensable
Americanadjective
-
absolutely necessary, essential, or requisite.
an indispensable member of the staff.
- Synonyms:
- needed
-
incapable of being disregarded or neglected.
an indispensable obligation.
noun
adjective
-
absolutely necessary; essential
-
not to be disregarded or escaped
an indispensable role
noun
Synonym Usage
See necessary.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of indispensable
First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin indispēnsābilis “not subject to dispensation.” See in- 3, dispensable
Explanation
Indispensable is a strong adjective for something that you couldn't do without. If you have asthma and you're packing for summer vacation, your inhaler is indispensable, unless you enjoy gasping on the beach. Something that is dispensable is something you could get rid of, like that box of yogurt-covered zucchini snacks that's been in the pantry for a year. So if something is indispensable you couldn't possibly go without it, like salt, or for some people, coffee. Chocolate is indispensable for chocolate chip cookies, as is furniture for the adult hide-and-go-seek league.
Vocabulary lists containing indispensable
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
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Starting Your New Life: Inspiring Words from Commencement Speeches
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Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789)
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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.
I had long admired her, especially the rollicking and indispensable “Slow Days, Fast Company,” first published in 1977, a charming and insightful series of stories bursting with pluck and sass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Rep. Cyrus King of Massachusetts grumbled that Jefferson’s collection included “irreligious and immoral books” and complained that the funds could be spent for “purposes more indispensable than the purchase of a library.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Aaron, the court described the federal judiciary’s “supreme” position “in the exposition of the law of the Constitution” as a “permanent and indispensable feature” of American governance.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
Despite the growing value of citizen science, the researchers emphasize that expert taxonomists remain indispensable.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
As Golos's lover and his main espionage protégée, Elizabeth Bentley quickly became indispensable to Stalin's underground operation in the United States.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
