indispensable

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin indispensabilis, corresponding to in- +‎ dispensable. Compare French indispensable.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ɪndɪˈspɛnsəbəl/

Adjective

indispensable (comparative more indispensable, superlative most indispensable)

1. (ecclesiastical, obsolete) Not admitting ecclesiastical dispensation; not subject to release or exemption; that cannot be allowed by bending the canonical rules. [16th-17th c.]
2. (of duties, rules etc.) Unbendable, that cannot be set aside or ignored. [from 17th c.]

   The law was moral and indispensable. -Bp. Burnet

3. Absolutely necessary or requisite; that one cannot do without. [from 17th c.]

   An indispensable component of a heart-healthy diet.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:requisite

Antonyms

• dispensable

Derived terms

• indispensability
• indispensableness
• indispensably

Translations

not dispensable

Dutch: onmisbaar (nl) Finnish: välttämätön (fi), korvaamaton (fi) French: indispensable (fr) German: unentbehrlich (de), unverzichtbar (de), unabkömmlich (de), unerlässlich (de), unabdingbar (de) Hungarian: kihagyhatatlan (hu), elmaradhatatlan (hu), nélkülözhetetlen (hu), elengedhetetlen (hu)

Interlingua: indispensabile (ia) Italian: indispensabile (it) Polish: niezbędny (pl) Spanish: indispensable (es) Turkish: zaruri (tr) elzem (tr)

not subject to exemption

Bosnian: neophodan (bs) m. Czech: nepostradatelný (cs) m. Dutch: onmisbaar

Finnish: ehdoton (fi) Turkish: muafiyetsiz (tr), istisnasiz (tr)

Noun

indispensable (plural indispensables)

1. A thing that is not dispensable; a necessity. [from 17th c.]
2. (in the plural, colloquial, dated) Trousers. [from 19th c.]

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Catalan

Adjective

indispensable m. and f. (plural indispensables)

1. indispensable

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French

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

indispensable (epicene, plural indispensables)

1. indispensable

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Spanish

Adjective

indispensable m. and f. (plural indispensables)

1. indispensable