unessential

adjective

un·​es·​sen·​tial ˌən-ə-ˈsen(t)-shəl How to pronounce unessential (audio)
1
: not essential : dispensable, unimportant
2
archaic : void of essence : insubstantial

Examples of unessential in a Sentence

don't pack any unessential items until we're sure we have room for everything we'll actually need
Recent Examples on the Web If no agreement occurs by September 30, the government will shut down all unessential services, ranging from air traffic controllers to staffers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who monitor for disease outbreaks. Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 27 Sep. 2023 Their reunion doesn’t last long, as Sarah can’t keep away from the Pogue life, and through another tangle of unessential details, the whole crew comes together to discover the Cross of Santo Domingo in the ceiling of an old church. Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 22 Feb. 2023 Relegated to Marvel’s 1992 annual issues, Citizen Kang initially felt a little unessential. Joe George, Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023 Each expert was hesitant about the current pandemic climate in Texas and the potential for increased spread through unessential activities. Callie Caplan, Dallas News, 12 Aug. 2020 Another potential reason for the pullback is that the United States has yet to lift travel restrictions for Europeans to visit the United States for unessential reasons. Geoff Whitmore, Forbes, 30 Aug. 2021 While this innovation was usually dismissed as unessential in previous years, today, brands embrace this change driven by necessity. Abhimanyu Singh, Forbes, 21 June 2021 The trips at first conflicted with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance against unessential travel amid the coronavirus pandemic. Naomi Lim, Washington Examiner, 1 May 2021 People entering states for essential and unessential travel reasons will need to complete this form. Geoff Whitmore, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unessential.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unessential was circa 1656

Dictionary Entries Near unessential

Cite this Entry

“Unessential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unessential. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!