nonessential

adjective

non·es·sen·tial | \ ˌnän-i-ˈsen(t)-shəl

Definition of nonessential

1 : not essential

2 : being a substance synthesized by the body in sufficient quantity to satisfy dietary needs nonessential fatty acids — see also nonessential amino acid — compare essential sense 2b

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Examples of nonessential in a Sentence

All nonessential personnel had to be laid off. Please avoid all nonessential uses of water.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some workers have begun returning to the plant's entrance after evacuating and nonessential personnel were sent home for the day. — Fox News, "Explosion, fire injure 37 at Houston-area ExxonMobil refinery," 31 July 2019 That could leave Oregon’s economy vulnerable to a steady erosion of jobs over time, or a sharp decline during a recession if companies scale back nonessential operations in outposts. — Mike Rogoway, oregonlive.com, "Portland shipbuilder Vigor Industrial sells to D.C. investment firm," 25 July 2019 The bill would create a government-run health insurance system and eliminate all private health plans except for nonessential services such as cosmetic surgery. — Doyle Mcmanus, latimes.com, "Yes, she stuck it to Biden, but Harris’ positions are tough to pin down," 7 July 2019 Shell and Chevron have evacuated nonessential staff from some of their Gulf drilling rigs, company officials said. — Faith Karimi, CNN, "Millions under flash flood risk as a tropical system strengthens in the Gulf of Mexico," 11 July 2019 Another pathway, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, keeps the body on high alert by tapping glucose reserves and dialing back nonessential functions. — Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, "What Science Says About Why You're Stressed and How to Cope," 21 June 2019 The other 11 are nonessential because the body is able to synthesize them out of the essential amino acids or the normal process of breaking down proteins, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Here's What Actually Happens in Your Body When You Eat Protein," 20 June 2019 In May, the U.S. evacuated nonessential diplomatic staff from Iraq. — Jon Gambrell, The Denver Post, "U.S. Navy expert says tanker attack mine resembles Iranian mines," 19 June 2019 Unfortunately for taxpayers—if recent history is any guide—a shutdown wouldn’t end up generating any savings because federal wages will end up being retroactively authorized for essential and nonessential alike. — James Freeman, WSJ, "Washington on $10 Billion a Day," 20 Dec. 2018

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