Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Having little or no importance; not essential.
- adjective Being a substance that is required for normal functioning but does not need to be included in the diet because of the body's ability to synthesize it from other nutrients.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Not essential or necessary; not absolutely necessary.
- noun A thing that is not essential, absolutely necessary, or of the utmost consequence.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A thing not essential.
- adjective Not essential.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Not
required ; notessential . - noun Something that is not essential.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun anything that is not essential
- adjective not of prime or central importance
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word nonessential.
Examples
-
I think all of the above, in a sense, and I liken it to other what I call nonessential passions that we have--golf, for example, horseback riding, neither of which are to my taste.
Life After The Times 2006
-
ZAHN: Finally this morning, the CDC has advised people to not do what they call nonessential travel to Asia because of that.
-
If the city can save on what it calls nonessential spending, then it might not have to cut as many jobs, leaders said.
KCTV5.com - News 2009
-
That's why they are sometimes called "nonessential" - because the information is not essential to the main point of the sentence.
Kansas.com Blogs Master Site Feed Lisa McLendon 2010
-
Well, speaking of operations, one operation that perhaps is underway even as we speak now is the evacuation of all U.S. personnel -- and those who are called nonessential personnel who may be within that region, either in Kuwait or any other country in the region.
-
The government urges "nonessential" employees to stay home.
Wednesday's hellish commute, described by many more than 140 characters Petula Dvorak 2011
-
The government urges "nonessential" employees to stay home.
Wednesday's hellish commute, described by many more than 140 characters Petula Dvorak 2011
-
The government urges "nonessential" employees to stay home.
Wednesday's hellish commute, described by many more than 140 characters Petula Dvorak 2011
-
The government urges "nonessential" employees to stay home.
Wednesday's hellish commute, described by many more than 140 characters Petula Dvorak 2011
-
I had an idea: If they're "nonessential," why should they come to work at all?
My First Time: A political novice runs for office Bill Thomas 2010
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.