adj, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A thing that is not dispensable; a necessity.
2. 2
   Trousers. colloquial, dated, in-plural

Adjective

1. 1
   Absolutely necessary or requisite; that one cannot do without.

   "An indispensable component of a heart-healthy diet."

2. 2
   Unbendable, that cannot be set aside or ignored.

   "The law was moral and indispensable."

3. 3
   Not admitting ecclesiastical dispensation; not subject to release or exemption; that cannot be allowed by bending the canonical rules. obsolete

Adjective

1. 1
   unavoidable wordnet
2. 2
   not to be dispensed with; essential wordnet
3. 3
   absolutely necessary; vitally necessary wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

necessaryobligatorybare necessitiesbasicbedrockcall for

Antonyms

All antonyms

dispensablefacultativeforgoablenonobligate

Example

More examples

"Both air and water are indispensable for life."

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French indispensable, from Medieval Latin indispensābilis, corresponding to in- + dispensable.

Related phrases

indispensable nation

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.