indispensable

adjective

in·​dis·​pens·​able ˌin-di-ˈspen(t)-sə-bəl 

1

: absolutely necessary : essential

an indispensable member of the staff

is indispensable to the team

2

: not subject to being set aside or neglected

an indispensable obligation

indispensability

ˌin-di-ˌspen(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

indispensable noun

indispensableness

ˌin-di-ˈspen(t)-sə-bəl-nəs 

noun

indispensably

ˌin-di-ˈspen(t)-sə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms of indispensable

• essential
• necessary
• integral
• required
• needed
• needful
• vital

Examples of indispensable in a Sentence

fully aware that he was an indispensable assistant, he decided that it was high time that he be paid what he was worth

Recent Examples on the Web

Even if working groups are established, the White House–Kremlin channel will be indispensable. —Thomas Graham, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2025

For a coffee lover on the road, one indispensable gadget is the AeroPress Go ($40), a small, lightweight plastic cylinder that brews quite nice coffee by plunging hot water through a bed of grounds atop a paper filter. —Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025

These indispensable institutions came back with great fanfare, visual majesty, and charismatic aplomb. —Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2025

Yet Cloud Dancer plays an equally indispensable role anchoring the Tropic Tonalities palette, where the white feels like a safe, comforting choice in the context of visually potent pigments like Paradise Pink and Kiwi Colada, among others. —Tim Nelson, Architectural Digest, 4 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for indispensable

• compensable
• condensable
• defensible
• dispensable
• extensible
• insensible
• ostensible
• comprehensible
• indefensible
• reprehensible
• supersensible
• incomprehensible

Kids Definition

indispensable

adjective

in·​dis·​pens·​able ˌin-dis-ˈpen(t)-sə-bəl 

: absolutely necessary : essential

an indispensable employee

indispensability

-ˌpen(t)-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

Legal Definition

indispensable

adjective

in·​dis·​pen·​sa·​ble ˌin-di-ˈspen-sə-bəl 

: having rights so connected to the claims of the parties to an action that the action cannot be adjudicated without affecting those rights see also indispensable party at party