as in unnecessary
not needed by the circumstances or to accomplish an end
don't pack any unessential items until we're sure we have room for everything we'll actually need
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Recent Examples of unessential
Try to avoid unessential borrowing, such as taking out a personal loan for a vacation.
—
Víctor Rosario, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2025
In all, the resort had one, unessential ski lift damaged, while a few ski patrol and maintenance shacks burned down.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024
If necessary to reach an agreement, Biden and Blinken should threaten to withhold additional weapons systems that have been implicated in civilian casualties in Gaza and deemed unessential to Israel’s security, such as white phosphorous shells.
—Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2024
If no agreement occurs by September 30, the government will shut down all unessential services, ranging from air traffic controllers to staffers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who monitor for disease outbreaks.
—Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 27 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for unessential
Víctor Rosario, Sacbee.com, 28 Mar. 2025
In all, the resort had one, unessential ski lift damaged, while a few ski patrol and maintenance shacks burned down.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024
If necessary to reach an agreement, Biden and Blinken should threaten to withhold additional weapons systems that have been implicated in civilian casualties in Gaza and deemed unessential to Israel’s security, such as white phosphorous shells.
—Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2024
If no agreement occurs by September 30, the government will shut down all unessential services, ranging from air traffic controllers to staffers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who monitor for disease outbreaks.
—Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 27 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for unessential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unessential
unnecessary
Adjective
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The best iterations of this event over the past half-century have culminated in victories by global superstars whose surnames are unnecessary.—
Jason Sobel,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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Doing so is not an effort against the environment but one in favor of addressing our housing crisis and cutting unnecessary bureaucracy.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unessential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unessential. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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