inessential

adjective

in·​es·​sen·​tial ˌi-nə-ˈsen(t)-shəl 

1

: not essential : unessential

2

: having no essence

inessential noun

Synonyms

• dispensable
• gratuitous
• needless
• nonessential
• uncalled-for
• unessential
• unnecessary
• unwarranted

Examples of inessential in a Sentence

he writes very spare prose, with nary an inessential word to be found

Recent Examples on the Web

The season ended, the credits rolled, and I was tossed into the abyss of inessential programming. —Evan Waite, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2024

The new character forces viewers to make sense of a convoluted, ultimately inessential timeline of the reporting process; her point of entry into Lina’s life is especially confusing. —Judy Berman, TIME, 3 Sep. 2024

The commentary was no less inessential with the addition of Jimmy Fallon, who also has a show on NBC. —Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2024

Running a taxing three hours, this first part of a quartet of films is littered with inessential scenes and characters that go nowhere, taking far too long to connect its messy plot threads. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 2