indispensable

comparative more indispensable · superlative most indispensable

1. Absolutely necessary or requisite; that one cannot do without.First known use 17th c.

   An indispensable component of a heart-healthy diet.

   4 more examples

   But through the oligopoly, charcoal fuel proliferated throughout London's trades and industries. By the 1200s, brewers and bakers, tilemakers, glassblowers, pottery producers, and a range of other craftsmen all became hour-to-hour consumers of charcoal. This only magnified the indispensable nature of the oligopolists.

   2006, Edwin Black, chapter 2, in Internal Combustion

   In this paper, I have chosen Khotan, a small oasis-state on the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, as the subject for the investigation of this question. The waters of two rivers, the Yurungkash or Baiyu he 白玉河 (White Jade River) and the Karakash or Heiyu he 黑玉河 (Black Jade River), were indispensable for establishing human culture in Khotan.

   2021, Imre Hamar, “Khotan and the Buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra”, in Takami Inoue, Imre Hamar, editors, The Buddha’s Words and Their Interpretations, Shin Buddhist Comprehensive Research Institute, →ISBN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 Oct 2021, page 130

   And my friends in politics, no-one is remotely indispensable and our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader, equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times.

   2022 July 7, Boris Johnson, resignation speech

   Behind this carefully crafted strategy of wooing Trump is a desire from Gulf states to solidify and formalize their positions as the US’ indispensable security and economic partners, and extract as much benefit for themselves as they can.

   2025 May 11, Nadeen Ebrahim and Abbas Al Lawati, “Trump is visiting three of the world’s richest nations. Here’s what’s on their wish list”, in CNN

2. rules etc.Unbendable, that cannot be set aside or ignored.First known use 17th c.

   The law was moral and indispensable.

   1679–1715, Gilbert Burnet, “(please specify the page)”, in The History of the Reformation of the Church of England., London: […] T[homas] H[odgkin] for Richard Chiswell, […]

   1 more example

   Why is marking a book indispensable to reading it? First, it keeps you awake—not merely conscious, but wide awake.

   1972, Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren, How to Read a Book, →ISBN, →LCCN, page 49

3. obsoleteecclesiasticalNot admitting ecclesiastical dispensation; not subject to release or exemption; that cannot be allowed by bending the canonical rules.First known use 16th–17th c.

plural indispensables

1. A thing that is not dispensable; a necessity.First known use 17th c.
2. colloquialdatedin pluralTrousers.First known use 19th c.