expendable
Americanadjective
-
capable of being expended.
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(of an item of equipment or supply) consumed in use or not reusable.
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considered to be not worth keeping or maintaining.
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Military. (of personnel, equipment, or supplies) capable of being sacrificed in order to accomplish a military objective.
noun
adjective
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that may be expended or used up
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not essential; not worth preserving
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able to be sacrificed to achieve an objective, esp a military one
noun
Other Word Forms
- expendability noun
- nonexpendable adjective
Etymology
Origin of expendable
Explanation
Anything expendable is not necessary — it can be done without. If you lose or use expendable funds, you won't miss the money. None of us wants to be called expendable — that means we could be replaced. If a football team isn't worried about certain players leaving for another team, then those players are expendable: they won't be missed and won't disrupt things if they leave. In war, some people are considered more expendable than others: a soldier is more expendable than a general, because there are far fewer generals. In any country, the least expendable person is the president or other leader of the nation. That's why they get so much protection from their security guards, who are considered much more expendable.
Vocabulary lists containing expendable
Power Suffix: -able
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"A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury
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Born a Crime
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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.
Both players are aging and expendable and it seems like the Dodgers would be fine without them.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026
Despite his religious stature, Khamenei has increasingly become politically expendable, analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 2026
Stoke Space plans to launch an expendable rocket next year to collect data for its push for reusable vehicles, while Relativity Space wants to test its medium-to-heavy lift, reusable rocket in late 2026.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 30, 2025
It speaks in the second person, telling you where you belong, whether you count, whether your life is expendable.
From Salon • Dec. 21, 2025
My years there created for me an expendable past, disposable as a plastic cup.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
