nonessential 1 of 2

adjective

ˌnän-i-ˈsen(t)-shəl How to pronounce nonessential (audio)
Definition of nonessentialnext
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

nonessential

2 of 2

noun

as in extravagance

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Adjective
During a shutdown, agencies halt nonessential functions until Congress approves funding and the president signs it into law. — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2025 As part of the protest effort, Schwarz is asking shoppers to halt all nonessential purchases online and in stores. — Angela Yang, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2025 The day of protest, first shared about a month ago by Chicago-area meditation and mindfulness educator John Schwarz, calls on shoppers to halt nonessential purchases online and in stores. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2025 By the end of the month, the European Union had barred nonessential travel from outside the bloc, cruise ships were under a no-sail order in U.S. waters and state governors had issued stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of the virus. — Danial Adkison, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nonessential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonessential
  1. unnecessary
  2. extravagance
  3. extra
  4. superfluity
  5. luxury
  6. indulgence
Adjective
  • Be prepared for a communication breakdown — text messages may not make it to the right person, your plans may get completely derailed and all that fiery energy might translate into unnecessary confrontations or snap decisions.
    — Valerie Mesa, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Too often, redesigns happen simply for the sake of change — unnecessary, expensive and often worse than what came before.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2025
Definition of unnecessary
Noun
  • Recession-core is the theory that fashion trends not only reflect but also predict economic downturns, with minimalism and the absence of extravagance signaling economic flux.
    — Tiana Randall, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
  • But the Mill Basin house failed to sell quickly, and with each price chop, there were headlines mocking its design, its extravagance, its connection to Rosatti.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of extravagance
Noun
  • But while some of those payments end up in the pockets of insurance company executives and shareholders, some subsidizes the very extras, such as dental and vision coverage, gym memberships, debit cards, and low- or no-cost drug benefits, that attract consumers to the plans in the first place.
    — Howard Gleckman, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Price history: Before today's deal, the MSRP for these two sets is $699 and $499, respectively, without any extras or bundles.
    — Alexander Cox, Space.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of extra
Noun
  • The images aren’t only stripped of superfluities; they’re hermetically sealed off from anything that could impinge from offscreen ...
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
  • The images aren’t only stripped of superfluities; they’re hermetically sealed off from anything that could impinge from offscreen, from the world at large.
    — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of superfluity
Noun
  • For the French luxury fashion label’s fall 2025 ready-to-wear collection show on Tuesday, Cabello wore a tweed suit.
    — Julia Teti, WWD, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Bellotti joins the label following his tenure as creative director at Swiss luxury brand Bally, and previously spent 16 years at Gucci.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of luxury
Noun
  • All proceeds from the collection were dedicated to supporting veterans and military families, a philanthropic throughline that added weight to the evening’s indulgence.
    — Shelby Stewart, Essence, 17 Mar. 2025
  • In a minor act of indulgence, Lauren signs herself up for a commercials acting class overseen by the prickly and imperious Liz (Gaby Hoffmann, one of many faces familiar from Transparent).
    — Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of indulgence

Browse Nearby Words

nonerotic
nonessential
nonessentials
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nonessential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonessential. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on nonessential

Nglish: Translation of nonessential for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All