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
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
Their reunion doesn’t last long, as Sarah can’t keep away from the Pogue life, and through another tangle of unessential details, the whole crew comes together to discover the Cross of Santo Domingo in the ceiling of an old church.
—Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 22 Feb. 2023
Relegated to Marvel’s 1992 annual issues, Citizen Kang initially felt a little unessential.
—Joe George, Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for unessential
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
Their reunion doesn’t last long, as Sarah can’t keep away from the Pogue life, and through another tangle of unessential details, the whole crew comes together to discover the Cross of Santo Domingo in the ceiling of an old church.
—Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 22 Feb. 2023
Relegated to Marvel’s 1992 annual issues, Citizen Kang initially felt a little unessential.
—Joe George, Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for unessential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unessential
unnecessary
Adjective
-
The Bregman signing started the unnecessary feud between the organization and slugger Rafael Devers, who Boston gave a $330 million extension to in January 2023.—
Tim Crowley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Disable unnecessary permissions like location tracking, microphone use or full file access.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unessential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unessential. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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