dispensability
Quality of unnecessariness
Dispensability is the quality of being dispensable—not essential, able to be done without.
The word often carries a sting when applied to people: Her growing sense of her own dispensability at the company led her to start job hunting.
Organizations assess the dispensability of programs, positions, and personnel when making cuts.
Made for one use
- eliminableAble to be removed
- redundantExceeding what's needed
- unnecessaryNot essential or required
- excessSurplus beyond need
surplus · trimmable · removable · cuttable · droppable · omittable · skippable · foregone
Exceeding what's needed
- superfluousExceeding what suffices
- extraneousNot pertinent or essential
- gratuitousGiven without necessity
- excessiveSurpassing reasonable bounds
overabundant · unneeded · surplus · spare · unused · unwarranted · unjustified · supernumerary
Not strictly necessary
- optionalNot mandatory
- peripheralExternal computer add-on
- incidentalMinor and unplanned
- secondaryLesser in rank
ancillary · accessory · supplementary · nonvital · noncritical · unimportant · trivial · minor
Capable of being exchanged
- interchangeableAble to replace another
- fungibleReplaceable by equivalent items
- exchangeableAble to be traded
- swappableAble to be exchanged
equivalent · alternate · backup · surrogate · proxy · spare · auxiliary · temporary
disposable
Made for one use
- eliminableAble to be removed
- redundantExceeding what's needed
- unnecessaryNot essential or required
excess · surplus · trimmable · removable · cuttable · droppable · omittable · skippable · foregone · waivable
redundant
Exceeding what's needed
- superfluousExceeding what suffices
- extraneousNot pertinent or essential
- gratuitousGiven without necessity
excessive · overabundant · unneeded · surplus · spare · unused · unwarranted · unjustified · supernumerary · pleonastic
inessential
Not strictly necessary
- optionalNot mandatory
- peripheralExternal computer add-on
- incidentalMinor and unplanned
secondary · ancillary · accessory · supplementary · nonvital · noncritical · unimportant · trivial · minor · marginal
substitutable
Capable of being exchanged
- interchangeableAble to replace another
- fungibleReplaceable by equivalent items
- exchangeableAble to be traded
swappable · equivalent · alternate · backup · surrogate · proxy · spare · auxiliary · temporary · provisional
dispensabilityindispensability
Being absolutely necessary
necessity · essentialness · essentiality · criticalness · irreplaceability