as in unnecessary
not needed by the circumstances or to accomplish an end
money's tight, so we'll have to skip nonessential purchases
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in extravagance
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nonessential
Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
Denmark urged its citizens to avoid nonessential transportation to cut back on fuel costs.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
Caitlyn Kim, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nonessential
Adjective
In Mecklenburg County, officials are asking residents to voluntarily reduce nonessential water use, including limiting outdoor watering and avoiding activities like washing hard surfaces or running half-full loads of laundry.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
Denmark urged its citizens to avoid nonessential transportation to cut back on fuel costs.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
Anything deemed nonessential would be put on hold, so Americans could experience delays with certain services and hundreds of thousands of federal workers will go without pay.
—Caitlyn Kim, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nonessential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonessential
Adjective
-
The outfitting decision was simultaneously unnecessary and endearing.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
12 May 2026
-
Lawmakers behind the 2023 legislation argued most North Carolina counties improved enough to meet federal air-quality standards, making emissions testing unnecessary, according to previous reporting by The Charlotte Observer.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
But where the décor favors restraint, the food chooses extravagance.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Black communities have long created beauty and extravagance.—
Essence,
Essence,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Those productions created more than 425,000 jobs plus over 700,000 additional extras and day workers, the company claims.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
12 May 2026
-
The chef Sunny Lee promotes them to a lead role, conjuring a daily set of six (with extras available) out of a breathlessly narrow kitchen.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
If both parties orgasmed, all the better as this would help in the excretion of harmful superfluities.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The Cullinan, which went on sale in 2018 and is now in its second generation, oozes superfluity, and that's totally fine.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Our household had no luxuries, no snack foods, no desserts, no popular culture except what came from the AM radio, and only a few appliances, including a washer but no dryer.—
Nicholas Dawidoff,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
-
Instead of helping the community, the charity's money allegedly fueled a life of luxury for Pollard, paying for trips to Las Vegas, luxury vehicles and massive shopping sprees at a Harley Davidson showroom and spa stores.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Certainly, costs have risen, but those sorts of checks have made a hurried meal feel like an expensive indulgence and really not that different, cost-wise, from a full-service experience.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
The most common indulgence by far was alcohol, but many flyers also turn to marijuana edibles and non-prescribed medication to deal with flight jitters.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonessential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonessential. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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