indispensable

adjective

in·​dis·​pens·​able ˌin-di-ˈspen(t)-sə-bəl How to pronounce indispensable (audio)
Synonyms of indispensable
1
: absolutely necessary : essential
an indispensable member of the staff
is indispensable to the team
2
: not subject to being set aside or neglected
an indispensable obligation
indispensability
ˌin-di-ˌspen(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce indispensable (audio)
noun
indispensable noun
indispensableness
ˌin-di-ˈspen(t)-sə-bəl-nəs How to pronounce indispensable (audio)
noun
indispensably
ˌin-di-ˈspen(t)-sə-blē How to pronounce indispensable (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of indispensable

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of indispensable in a Sentence

fully aware that he was an indispensable assistant, he decided that it was high time that he be paid what he was worth
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With more than 80% of global trade by volume being transported by sea, maritime shipping lanes are indispensable to the world economy. — John Calabrese, The Conversation, 6 July 2026 By every metric, Blubaugh is blossoming into an almost indispensable piece of the Astros’ attempt to stay afloat in the American League playoff hunt. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 2 July 2026 That institutional history is indispensable, but institutions alone do not define a profession. — Joseph Andrew, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026 Guerrero plays Esperanza Diaz, a former wrestler who is Myron’s indispensable right hand, keeping everything in order while serving as the backbone for their sports agency. — Naomi Jeffries, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for indispensable

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of indispensable was in 1653

Rhymes for indispensable

See All Rhymes for indispensable

Browse Nearby Words

indispensability
indispensable
indispensableness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Indispensable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indispensable. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

indispensable

adjective
in·​dis·​pens·​able ˌin-dis-ˈpen(t)-sə-bəl How to pronounce indispensable (audio)
: absolutely necessary : essential
an indispensable employee
indispensability
-ˌpen(t)-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē How to pronounce indispensable (audio)
noun

Legal Definition

indispensable

adjective
in·​dis·​pen·​sa·​ble ˌin-di-ˈspen-sə-bəl How to pronounce indispensable (audio)
: having rights so connected to the claims of the parties to an action that the action cannot be adjudicated without affecting those rights see also indispensable party at party

More from Merriam-Webster on indispensable

Nglish: Translation of indispensable for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All