inessential

[ in-i-sen-shuhl ]

adjective

1. not essential; not necessary; nonessential.
2. without essence; insubstantial.

noun

1. that which is not essential.

inessential

/ ˌɪnɪˈsɛnʃəl /

adjective

1. not necessary

noun

1. anything that is not essential

Derived Forms

• ˌinesˌsentiˈality, noun

Other Words From

• ines·senti·ali·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of inessential¹

First recorded in 1670–80; in- ³ + essential

Example Sentences

She treats the question as compulsory but perhaps inessential.

From Salon

The first “Rebel Moon,” released on Netflix in December, made audiences endure a gantlet of narrative groundwork that’s fairly inessential and recapped here.

From New York Times

You might even define a great artist by the ability to pitilessly remove the inessential, no matter how clever the sentence or brilliant the movement composition.

From New York Times

MAP, deemed inessential, was cut, and the program dissolved within a few years.

From Scientific American

It urged residents in the area to avoid inessential outings and to use caution against mudslides, flooding and thunderstorms.

From Seattle Times