Standard Lemma guide

unessential

adj · 3 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.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not essential.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1676, Joseph Glanvill, Seasonable Reflections and Discourses, London: R.W. [and] H. Mortlock, p. 92, [I] have a question more to ask you on occasion of what you have told me; and that is, Whether you are to leave every Minister and Church, as soon as any thing is said that is really erroneous, in the lesser and unessential matters?
  • 1716, Joseph Addison, The Free-Holder, No. 39, 4 May, 1716, London: D. Midwinter and J. Tonson, p. 225, [He was] moved rather with Pity than Indignation towards the Persons of those, who differed from him in the unessential Parts of Christianity.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inessential, unimportant

Antonyms: essential

2

adj

Meaning 2

Void of essence, or real being.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unsubstantial

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

not basic or fundamental

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inessential

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English un- Proto-Indo-European *h1es- Proto-Indo-European *h1ésti Proto-Indo-European *bhuH- Proto-Indo-European *bhúHt Proto-Italic *ezom~*som Old Latin 𐌄𐌔𐌏𐌌 (esom) Old Latin esum Latin sumder. Latin *essēns Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin essentia Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Late Latin essentiālisbor. English essential English unessential From un- + essential.

Real reading context

unessential in complete knowledge articles