unessential

adjective

un·​es·​sen·​tial ˌən-ə-ˈsen(t)-shəl 

1

: not essential : dispensable, unimportant

2

archaic : void of essence : insubstantial

Synonyms of unessential

• unnecessary

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

In all, the resort had one, unessential ski lift damaged, while a few ski patrol and maintenance shacks burned down. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024

Try to avoid unessential borrowing, such as taking out a personal loan for a vacation. — Víctor Rosario, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2025

What is striking is how unessential to either of these purposes democracy promotion seems to be. — Javier Corrales, Time, 27 Oct. 2025

Some naysayers may dismiss fashion as frivolous or an unessential part of daily life, but for Piersanti, that couldn’t be further from the truth. — Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for unessential

• confidential
• differential
• evidential
• inessential
• inferential
• pestilential
• quintessential
• equipotential
• experiential
• geopotential
• jurisprudential
• nonresidential