INESSENTIAL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does inessential mean? 

• INESSENTIAL (noun)
  The noun INESSENTIAL has 1 sense:

1. anything that is not essential

  Familiarity information: INESSENTIAL used as a noun is very rare.

• INESSENTIAL (adjective)
  The adjective INESSENTIAL has 2 senses:

1. not basic or fundamental

2. not absolutely necessary

  Familiarity information: INESSENTIAL used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INESSENTIAL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Anything that is not essential

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Synonyms:

inessential; nonessential

Context example:

they discarded all their inessentials

Hypernyms ("inessential" is a kind of...):

thing (a separate and self-contained entity)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "inessential"):

adjunct (something added to another thing but not an essential part of it)

Antonym:

essential (anything indispensable)

• INESSENTIAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Not basic or fundamental

Synonyms:

inessential; unessential

Similar:

accessorial (nonessential but helpful)

adscititious (supplemental; not part of the real or essential nature of a thing)

accidental; incidental; nonessential (not of prime or central importance)

Also:

dispensable (capable of being dispensed with or done without)

expendable (suitable to be expended)

unimportant (not important)

extrinsic (not forming an essential part of a thing or arising or originating from the outside)

unnecessary; unneeded (not necessary)

secondary (being of second rank or importance or value; not direct or immediate)

Attribute:

essentiality; essentialness (basic importance)

Antonym:

essential (basic and fundamental)

Derivation:

inessentiality (not of basic importance)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Not absolutely necessary

Similar:

unnecessary; unneeded (not necessary)

 Context examples 

And as the moon rose higher the inessential houses began to melt away until gradually I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors' eyes—a fresh, green breast of the new world.

(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)