Standard Lemma guide

dispensable

adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /dɪsˈpɛnsəbəl/
  • [dɪsˈphɛnsəbɫ̩]
  • [-bəɫ]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S P EH1 N S AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Able to be done without; easily replaced.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disposable, expendable, inessential

Antonyms: indispensable, nondispensable, nondisposable, irreplaceable, essential, crucial, vital

2

adj

Meaning 2

Capable of being dispensed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: distributable

Antonyms: indispensable, undispensable, nondistributable, undistributable

3

adj

Meaning 3

Subject to dispensation; possible to relax, exempt from, or annul.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: usually

Qualifier: rule; vow; rule; vow

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: indispensable

4

adj

Meaning 4

Not essential to be taken in as part of an organism's diet, as it can be synthesized de novo.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: nutrition

Topics: biochemistry, biology, chemistry, microbiology, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nonessential

Antonyms: essential

5

noun

Meaning 5

Something that can reasonably be dispensed with; something unnecessary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

capable of being dispensed with or done without

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • dispensable items of personal property

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: indispensable

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English dispense Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dhlom Proto-Indo-European *-dhlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English dispensable From dispense + -able.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: неналожителен (nenaložitelen) — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • Bulgarian: без който може (bez kojto može) — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • Catalan: prescindible — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • Czech: postradatelný — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • Czech: nadbytečný — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • Dutch: misbaar — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • Dutch: onnodig — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • Dutch: overbodig — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • French: facultatif — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • German: entbehrlich — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • German: verzichtbar — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • German: überflüssig — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • German: abkömmlich — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • Hungarian: nélkülözhető — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • Hungarian: mellőzhető — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • Hungarian: elhagyható — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • Portuguese: dispensável — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • Spanish: prescindible — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • Spanish: defectible — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced
  • Spanish: dispensable — able to be done without; able to be expended; easily replaced