as in unnecessary
not needed by the circumstances or to accomplish an end
he writes very spare prose, with nary an inessential word to be found
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inessential
Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential.
—
Big Think, 20 Feb. 2025
The remaining seven undisputed songs, including forgettable Akon and Lenny Kravitz collaborations, make for a slight and inessential collection.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 16 Jan. 2025
Though somewhat inessential, Far From Home is a fun diversion with a killer mid-credits sequence that beautifully sets up the third film.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 7 Jan. 2025
That kind of wheel-spinning can be infuriating in a genre show; think of how the second season of Yellowjackets eventually became too unwieldy or how certain episodes of Lost (one of From’s clear inspirations) felt inessential.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for inessential
Big Think, 20 Feb. 2025
The remaining seven undisputed songs, including forgettable Akon and Lenny Kravitz collaborations, make for a slight and inessential collection.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 16 Jan. 2025
Though somewhat inessential, Far From Home is a fun diversion with a killer mid-credits sequence that beautifully sets up the third film.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 7 Jan. 2025
That kind of wheel-spinning can be infuriating in a genre show; think of how the second season of Yellowjackets eventually became too unwieldy or how certain episodes of Lost (one of From’s clear inspirations) felt inessential.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for inessential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inessential
unnecessary
Adjective
-
Restructuring your team to bring him in now could cause unnecessary hits or weaken your squad balance.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Delete unnecessary apps from your phone - Most apps collect personal details such as your name, email and location, which could be hacked.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inessential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inessential. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share