Meaning & use
indispensable
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
So important or useful that you cannot manage or succeed without it.
Grammar: Used after linking verbs like be, seem, become; takes to: indispensable to the team. Not usually used before a noun in the sense of 'absolutely necessary'.
Patterns
- indispensable to someone/something
- indispensable for something
- be indispensable in something
A good dictionary is indispensable for language learners.
She has become indispensable to the whole department.
In an emergency, a reliable phone is indispensable.
adjectivenot comparable
Impossible to avoid or do without; absolutely necessary.
Grammar: Often used before a noun: an indispensable tool, an indispensable part. Slightly more formal than 'essential'.
Patterns
- an indispensable tool
- an indispensable part of something
- an indispensable member
The internet has become an indispensable part of modern life.
He is an indispensable member of the research team.
This software is an indispensable tool for designers.
Common combinations
- absolutely indispensable
- For this job, a car is absolutely indispensable.
- indispensable to
- Clean water is indispensable to good health.
- indispensable for
- A map is indispensable for hiking in the mountains.
- indispensable role
- Teachers play an indispensable role in society.
Synonyms and how they differ
- essential
- Very close in meaning, but 'essential' can also mean 'basic' or 'fundamental'; 'indispensable' emphasizes that something cannot be done without.
- vital
- Suggests something is necessary for life or success; 'indispensable' is often used for tools or people rather than biological needs.
- crucial
- Means extremely important for a particular result; 'indispensable' is stronger, suggesting complete dependence.
Opposites
Word family
- indispensability noun
- The quality of being impossible to do without.
Commonly confused: indispensable or dispensable?
indispensable vs dispensable
The opposite: able to be replaced or done without. Don't confuse the two.
Practice
In many offices, a computer is ______ for everyday tasks.
Choose one answer.
'Indispensable' means you cannot manage without it, which fits the sentence. 'Dispensable' means the opposite, and the other two are not adjectives.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “indispensable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.