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 hardwiring the island’s industrial ecosystem into the American economy, they say, the pact effectively converts Taiwan’s high-end silicon output into an indispensable U.S. national security asset.
He became so indispensable to Bernanke as a go-between with Wall Street chieftains and GOP leaders that Fed staffers developed a familiar refrain: “Have you run it by Warsh?”
The 59-year-old said her character showed that "women of a certain age are not indispensable and resists that by standing up for herself".
From BBC
In that context, reliable, on‑site fuel becomes indispensable.
Europe enjoyed US protection from the Soviets for decades and according to some remains indispensable to Washington because of its geographical location as the gateway to Eurasia.
From Barron's
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.
