as in extrinsic
not being a vital part of or belonging to something
the point of view that art should be for art's sake and that moral considerations are adventitious to the study of art
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of adventitious
Although individual plants have a lifespan of 30-90 years, adventitious shoots grow up from roots.
—
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 5 July 2025
The patchy and adventitious quality of Jameson’s reconstruction must make clear his difference as a thinker.
—Mark Greif, Harper's Magazine, 26 July 2024
The cut appears to have been high enough that the stump should still have enough adventitious buds to regrow.
—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2023
Plant Deep — Really Deep Tomatoes have the ability to produce roots off their stems, known as adventitious roots.
—Margaret Roach, New York Times, 12 May 2020
This can also occur when trees are planted too deep, as adventitious (growing sideways from the stem) roots grow against the stem and squeeze the sapwood.
—Rebecca Jepsen, The Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2019
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 5 July 2025
The patchy and adventitious quality of Jameson’s reconstruction must make clear his difference as a thinker.
—Mark Greif, Harper's Magazine, 26 July 2024
The cut appears to have been high enough that the stump should still have enough adventitious buds to regrow.
—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2023
Plant Deep — Really Deep Tomatoes have the ability to produce roots off their stems, known as adventitious roots.
—Margaret Roach, New York Times, 12 May 2020
This can also occur when trees are planted too deep, as adventitious (growing sideways from the stem) roots grow against the stem and squeeze the sapwood.
—Rebecca Jepsen, The Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adventitious
Adjective
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Gray emphasized that true free play is not oriented around extrinsic goals, such as earning a high grade from a teacher or impressing a soccer coach.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
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Those new to options trading should understand basic terms (e.g., premiums, extrinsic and intrinsic value, moneyness) and know the Greeks (measurements of an option’s sensitivity to various factors).—
Michael Martin,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Each was played a stream of speech that contained relevant comments and other irrelevant information, all spoken in a flat tone.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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Its cable properties are increasingly irrelevant in the market, and networks like Logo, MTV and TV Land have been starved of new content for years.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The administration says this will eliminate the need for external tents during state events, something the president has complained about in the past.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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The primary cue the body uses to synchronize this cycle to its external environment is light.—
Rowan Jacobsen,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Our commerce writer Julia Harrison writes that her Moccamaster One Cup is a delight, principally because of its simplicity as a drip coffee maker—free of extraneous frothers or digital interfaces or timers.—
Blake Bakkila,
Architectural Digest,
8 Oct. 2025
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If someone is furloughed, the thinking goes, they could more easily be seen as extraneous, giving the Administration an easier path to arguing they aren’t needed at all.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Beau pointed out that Bash disabled them, and any footage could be altered to appear accidental.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
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The accidental explosive play The Chiefs’ longest offensive snap of the night?—
Sam McDowell
Updated October 27,
Kansas City Star,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Scientists have been exploring these icy forms for over a century, not just for curiosity, but to understand how water behaves in extreme environments, including places where alien life might exist.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
26 Oct. 2025
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Over three seasons, Invasion has traced the human cost of an alien attack, following survivors who fight for connection and survival in a broken world.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Whether or not Takaichi's administration is as tough on immigration issues as her campaign rhetoric suggests, some observers warn that failing to actively invest in and integrate foreign nationals into society will have lasting harm on Asia’s second-largest economy.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Chen kept ledgers of bribes, according to the indictment, and in 2019 a $3 million yacht was bought for a senior official in an unnamed foreign government.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adventitious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adventitious. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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