dispensable

1 of 2

adjective

dis·​pens·​able di-ˈspen(t)-sə-bəl 

: capable of being dispensed with

dispensability

di-ˌspen(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

dispensability

2 of 2

noun

dis·​pens·​abil·​i·​ty dəˌspen(t)səˈbilətē 

(ˌ)diˌ-, 

-ətē, 

-i

plural -es

: the quality or state of being dispensable

his dispensability to his corporation and his corporation's indispensability to him are bound to remain the crux of his problem

—John McDonald

Synonyms of dispensable

Adjective

• unnecessary

Examples of dispensable in a Sentence

Adjective

Computers have made typewriters dispensable.

Do you consider any of the staff to be dispensable?

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Or they could once again be tempted if the overlapping skill sets of some players — most likely Waddle, Franklin and Mims — make somebody dispensable. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 15 July 2026

These educational crises—combined with evolutions in technology and culture—have rendered the experience of reading fiction, let alone poetry, a dispensable element of human life. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 8 July 2026

The 23-year-old has the kind of athleticism Green has not possessed in a decade, but that does not mean Green’s skillset is dispensable. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 29 June 2026

Ornaments are no more dispensable than foundations. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Medieval Latin dispensābilis "susceptible of dispensation," from Latin dispensāre "to pay out, dispense" + -bilis "capable (of acting) or worthy of (being acted upon)" — more at -able

First Known Use

Adjective

1649, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dispensable

• sensible
• compensable
• condensable
• defensible
• extensible
• insensible
• ostensible
• comprehensible
• indefensible
• indispensable
• reprehensible
• supersensible

Kids Definition

dispensable

adjective

dis·​pens·​able dis-ˈpen(t)-sə-bəl 

: not necessary : nonessential

dispensability

-ˌpen(t)-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun