inessential

/'ini'senʃəl/

Thân thiện

A traveler packs only the essentials and leaves the inessentials behind.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Not absolutely necessary: Something that is "inessential" is not required or indispensable; it can be omitted without affecting the core function or existence of something.
   • Not basic or fundamental: Describes something that is peripheral, secondary, or not part of the essential nature or foundation of an entity.

2. Noun:

   • Anything that is not essential: An item, detail, or aspect that is not necessary or fundamental; a non-essential thing.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The report was edited to remove all inessential details. (The details that were not absolutely necessary were taken out.)
  • For survival, shelter is essential, while a television is inessential. (A television is not basic or fundamental to staying alive.)

• Noun:

  • When packing for the hike, focus on water and food, and leave the inessentials behind. (Do not pack the things that are not essential.)
  • Their budget cuts targeted luxuries and other inessentials first. (They first reduced spending on items that were not absolutely necessary.)

Advanced Usage

• Philosophical/Conceptual Use: In discussions about needs versus wants, or core principles versus peripheral ideas.
  • The philosopher argued that material possessions are inessential to true happiness. (Material possessions are not fundamental to achieving true happiness.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nonessential (adj/n): A very close synonym, meaning not necessary or not basic.

  • Nonessential personnel were asked to evacuate the building. (Personnel who were not absolutely necessary were asked to leave.)

• Dispensable (adj): Capable of being dispensed with or done without; replaceable. (Emphasizes replaceability more than "inessential" does.)

• Superfluous (adj): Exceeding what is sufficient or necessary; extra to the point of being unnecessary or wasteful. (Stronger, often with a negative connotation of excess.)

Synonyms

• Adjective: Unnecessary, dispensable, extraneous, peripheral, incidental, optional.
• Noun: Luxury, extra, frill, non-necessity.

Antonyms

• Adjective: Essential, necessary, indispensable, vital, fundamental, basic, crucial.
• Noun: Essential, necessity, requirement, staple.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. not absolutely necessary
2. not basic or fundamental

Noun

1. anything that is not essential
   • they discarded all their inessentials

Từ đồng nghĩa

• unessential
• nonessential