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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in extravagance
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 nonessential
Judd Devermont, semafor.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The company said nonessential spending at its stores has been weak as consumers pull back amid economic uncertainty and rising gasoline prices.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2026
Caitlyn Kim, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nonessential
Adjective
Senegal, for example, has banned nonessential foreign travel by ministers to cut costs.
—Judd Devermont, semafor.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The company said nonessential spending at its stores has been weak as consumers pull back amid economic uncertainty and rising gasoline prices.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 25 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
-
To bear witness to the superfluity of beauty in the world.—
Kevin West,
Travel + Leisure,
8 May 2026
-
If both parties orgasmed, all the better as this would help in the excretion of harmful superfluities.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The investigation comes as global health officials continue monitoring a rare hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius luxury cruise ship that has sickened multiple passengers and crew members and left three people dead.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
-
The backstory Originally opened in 1984 by two couples, Malliouhana was really Anguilla’s first luxury resort, putting the island on the map as a luxury Caribbean destination.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Like air travel, fast fashion, and so many indulgences of our era, drinking invites us to consider a gruelling litany of downsides and then decide whether the trade-offs are worth it.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
For many, a no-phone vacation is less an indulgence than a corrective.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonessential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonessential. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
