indispensable
adjective
in·dis·pens·able
ˌin-di-ˈspen(t)-sə-bəl 
1
: absolutely necessary : essential
an indispensable member of the staff
2
: not subject to being set aside or neglected
an indispensable obligation
indispensable
noun
Synonyms
Examples of indispensable in a Sentence
fully aware that he was an indispensable assistant, he decided that it was high time that he be paid what he was worth
Recent Examples on the Web
Out of hubris or audacity, Gandhi wants to persuade people to consider lofty things like morality and love, indispensable values that nonetheless make for nebulous campaign platforms.
—
Samanth Subramanian Vikas Adam Tanya Pérez Zachary Mouton, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Photograph: Dennis Kunkel/Science Photo Library/Science Source Fungi are an indispensable part of your microbiome, keeping the body’s host of microorganisms healthy as part of a system of checks and balances.
—Maggie Chen, WIRED, 19 Apr. 2024
Nevertheless, geologists define epochs because such time units are useful, indeed indispensable to their work.
—Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
Japan faces an acute dilemma: how to work with a country that is both an indispensable trading partner and a critical national security threat just 205 miles away.
—Tomohiko Taniguchi, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
His filmed interviews with the likes of Glenn Gould, Sviatoslav Richter, Yehudi Menuhin, Maurizio Pollini and other 20th century classical giants are indispensable.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Xuande credits his veteran scene partners for their indispensable support.
—Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Although some argue that popular visa programs such as H-1B allow employers to substitute cheaper foreign engineers and computer scientists for American workers, others say being able to recruit talent from around the world is indispensable for their growth.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Getting To Modern Digital Identity In its early days as networks coalesced, email systems advanced and the internet took shape, AD emerged as an indispensable and widely used enterprise tool.
—Eric Olden, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Samanth Subramanian Vikas Adam Tanya Pérez Zachary Mouton, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Photograph: Dennis Kunkel/Science Photo Library/Science Source Fungi are an indispensable part of your microbiome, keeping the body’s host of microorganisms healthy as part of a system of checks and balances.
—Maggie Chen, WIRED, 19 Apr. 2024
Nevertheless, geologists define epochs because such time units are useful, indeed indispensable to their work.
—Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
Japan faces an acute dilemma: how to work with a country that is both an indispensable trading partner and a critical national security threat just 205 miles away.
—Tomohiko Taniguchi, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
His filmed interviews with the likes of Glenn Gould, Sviatoslav Richter, Yehudi Menuhin, Maurizio Pollini and other 20th century classical giants are indispensable.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Xuande credits his veteran scene partners for their indispensable support.
—Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
Although some argue that popular visa programs such as H-1B allow employers to substitute cheaper foreign engineers and computer scientists for American workers, others say being able to recruit talent from around the world is indispensable for their growth.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Getting To Modern Digital Identity In its early days as networks coalesced, email systems advanced and the internet took shape, AD emerged as an indispensable and widely used enterprise tool.
—Eric Olden, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'indispensable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near indispensable
Cite this Entry
“Indispensable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indispensable. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
indispensable
adjective
in·dis·pens·able
ˌin-dis-ˈpen(t)-sə-bəl
: absolutely necessary : essential
an indispensable employee
Legal Definition
indispensable
adjective
in·dis·pen·sa·ble
ˌin-di-ˈspen-sə-bəl
: having rights so connected to the claims of the parties to an action that the action cannot be adjudicated without affecting those rights see also indispensable party at party
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