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
Related Words
See necessary.
Other Word Forms
- indispensability noun
- indispensableness noun
- indispensably adverb
Etymology
Origin of indispensable
First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin indispēnsābilis “not subject to dispensation.” See in- 3, dispensable
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.
By personally elevating Zhang to the rank of No. 1 general in 2022 even after he had passed the customary retirement age, Xi signaled that Zhang was the indispensable hand behind the military’s modernization.
In the end, they know that what matters isn’t the brilliance of any individual justice — that there is no indispensable justice.
From Salon
If we are to preserve our republic and our economy, restoring men and women of character to our leadership is an indispensable goal.
From Los Angeles Times
“Energy has shifted from being viewed as a mature sector to one that is once again indispensable to economic growth, national security, and technological progress,” Quantum said in the letter.
It has a partial blueprint for how you think, and some of the knowledge that once made you indispensable is now a reproducible company asset.
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.
