inessential
adjective
in·es·sen·tial
ˌi-nə-ˈsen(t)-shəl 
1
: not essential : unessential
2
: having no essence
inessential
noun
Synonyms
Examples of inessential in a Sentence
he writes very spare prose, with nary an inessential word to be found
Recent Examples on the Web
Set for life thanks to residuals, the Seinfeld co-creator meanders around Los Angeles’ wealthiest neighborhoods, playing golf, making scenes in restaurants, and taking on inessential projects.
—
TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
In the civil case, Mr. Cohen was more of a peripheral witness, headline-grabbing but inessential to winning.
—Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2023
Though the song’s title starts as a negative, describing Ken as inessential, the group elevates it to a chant of self-affirming validation, one that stops them from warring with each other and themselves.
—Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2023
Perhaps that separateness accounts for its being so frequently omitted as inessential, although the loss seems drastic: in the Met’s persuasive and powerful new production, this prelude seems the indispensable glimpse of a world elsewhere, whose possibilities are never to be revisited.
—Geoffrey O’Brien, The New York Review of Books, 6 Apr. 2022
The painter removes everything inessential.
—Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2021
Just ask any of the thousands of tech workers who were recently laid off because their CEO’s pet pivot-to-X project was deemed inessential.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2023
For anyone interested in Broadway trends, here is a remarkable example of how the rise of Audible and AirPods — and the huge popularity of stories playing in your ear — has made spectacle not only inessential but maybe even an unnecessary risk.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2023
Vegetable dishes are a welcome break to the meat-and-carb parade, but often inessential.
—oregonlive, 16 Dec. 2022
TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
In the civil case, Mr. Cohen was more of a peripheral witness, headline-grabbing but inessential to winning.
—Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2023
Though the song’s title starts as a negative, describing Ken as inessential, the group elevates it to a chant of self-affirming validation, one that stops them from warring with each other and themselves.
—Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2023
Perhaps that separateness accounts for its being so frequently omitted as inessential, although the loss seems drastic: in the Met’s persuasive and powerful new production, this prelude seems the indispensable glimpse of a world elsewhere, whose possibilities are never to be revisited.
—Geoffrey O’Brien, The New York Review of Books, 6 Apr. 2022
The painter removes everything inessential.
—Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2021
Just ask any of the thousands of tech workers who were recently laid off because their CEO’s pet pivot-to-X project was deemed inessential.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2023
For anyone interested in Broadway trends, here is a remarkable example of how the rise of Audible and AirPods — and the huge popularity of stories playing in your ear — has made spectacle not only inessential but maybe even an unnecessary risk.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2023
Vegetable dishes are a welcome break to the meat-and-carb parade, but often inessential.
—oregonlive, 16 Dec. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inessential.' 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
1677, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Articles Related to inessential
Dictionary Entries Near inessential
Cite this Entry
“Inessential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inessential. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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