dispensable

adjective

dis·​pens·​able di-ˈspen(t)-sə-bəl 

: capable of being dispensed with

dispensability

di-ˌspen(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

Synonyms

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

Examples of dispensable in a Sentence

Computers have made typewriters dispensable.

Do you consider any of the staff to be dispensable?

Recent Examples on the Web

Photography helped normalize lynching in the eyes of white audiences: these extrajudicial acts were captured by government officials and published without shame, as though there was no debate on who was dispensable. —Emmanuel Iduma, ARTnews.com, 16 Sep. 2024

Once useful anti-Communist strongmen became dispensable. —Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024

The Yankees needed to make space in their bullpen with Nick Burdi returning from a hip injury prior to Friday’s series opener against the Rays, but Michael Tonkin seemed like the most dispensable choice. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 10 May 2024

Some see this as a step toward eventually allowing interstate commerce, which would lead to consolidation across the industry and make border dispensaries dispensable. —Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1649, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dispensable

adjective

dis·​pens·​able dis-ˈpen(t)-sə-bəl 

: not necessary : nonessential

dispensability

-ˌpen(t)-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun