Definition of indispensable adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

indispensable

adjective

/ˌɪndɪˈspensəbl/

too important to be without synonym essential
- Cars have become an indispensable part of our lives.
- indispensable to somebody/something She made herself indispensable to the department.
- indispensable for something/for doing something A good dictionary is indispensable for learning a foreign language.
opposite dispensable
Synonyms essential
essentialvital ▪ crucial ▪ critical ▪ decisive ▪ indispensableThese words all describe somebody/something that is extremely important and completely necessary because a particular situation or activity depends on them.
essential extremely important and completely necessary, because without it something cannot exist, be made or be successful:
Experience is essential for this job.
vital essential:
The police play a vital role in our society.
essential or vital?These words have the same meaning but there can be a slight difference in tone. Essential is used to state a fact or opinion with authority. Vital is often used when there is some worry felt about something, or a need to persuade somebody that a fact or opinion is true, right or important. Vital is less often used in negative statements: It was vital to show that he was not afraid. • Money is not vital to happiness.
crucial extremely important because a particular situation or activity depends on it:
It is crucial that we get this right.
critical extremely important because a particular situation or activity depends on it:
Your decision is critical to our future.
crucial or critical?These words have the same meaning but there can be a slight difference in context. Critical is often used in technical matters of business or science; crucial is often used to talk about matters that may cause worry or other emotions.
decisive of the greatest importance in affecting the final result of a particular situation:
She has played a decisive role in the peace negotiations.
indispensable essential; too important to be without:
Cars have become an indispensable part of our lives.
Patterns
- essential/vital/crucial/critical/decisive/indispensable for something
- essential/vital/crucial/critical/indispensable to something
- essential/vital/crucial/critical that…
- essential/vital/crucial/critical to do something
- a(n) essential/vital/crucial/critical/decisive/indispensable part/factor
- of vital/crucial/critical/decisive importance
- absolutely essential/vital/crucial/critical/decisive/indispensable
Language Bank vital
vitalSaying that something is necessary
- It is vital that journalists can verify the accuracy of their reports.
- Journalists play a vital role in educating the public.
- Public trust is a crucial issue for all news organizations.
- The ability to write well is essential for any journalist.
- The internet has become an indispensable tool for reporters.
- In journalism, accuracy is paramount.
- Checking and verifying facts are of paramount importance for any journalist.
- It is imperative that journalists maintain the highest possible standards of reporting.
Extra Examples
- These drugs are almost indispensable in the fight against the disease.
- Rare earths are absolutely indispensable for renewable energies and hydrogen production.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verbs
- be
- prove
- become
- …
adverb
- absolutely
preposition
- for
- in
- to
- …
See full entry
Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘not to be allowed or provided for by ecclesiastical dispensation’): from medieval Latin indispensabilis, from in- ‘not’ + dispensabilis (from Latin dispensare ‘continue to weigh out or disburse’, from the verb dispendere, based on pendere ‘weigh’).

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See indispensable in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee indispensable in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

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Nearby words

brink

noun

From the Topic

Danger

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