Synonyms for expendable
- adjective
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Dispensable — not essential or mandatory in order to achieve a goal
2. Worthless — regarded as not worth preserving or saving; able to be sacrificed
3. Limited — able to be expended; not inexhaustible
4. Disposable — designed for a single use; not reusable
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Able to be expended; not inexhaustible.
Oil and other expendable resources are frequently the subject of military disputes.
- adj. 2
Designed for a single use; not reusable.
The anti-aircraft rocket is fired from an expendable launch platform.
- adj. 3
Not essential or mandatory in order to achieve a goal.
The research department was deemed expendable, and its funding was not renewed.
- adj. 4
Regarded as not worth preserving or saving; able to be sacrificed.
In the internecine rivalries of large corporations, whole departments may become expendable in the execution of one executive's power play.
Related words
- Other spellings
- expendible
Example sentences
- redundant The company made most of its employees redundant.
- adjunct Tom is an adjunct professor.
- superfluous I agree that the feelings are indeed superfluous.
- worthless With gold talking, every discussion is worthless.
- collateral We'll use the house as collateral so we can borrow some money.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| expendable | falling | |
| redundant | rising | |
| adjunct | steady | |
| superfluous | steady | |
| dispensable | rising | |
| worthless | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 6 letters
- finite2
- 7 letters
- limited3, adjunct2
- 9 letters
- worthless2, redundant3, throwaway3, spendable3
- 10 letters
- collateral4, disposable4, consumable4
- 11 letters
- superfluous3, dispensable4, exhaustible
- 12 letters
- sacrificable
- 14 letters
- inconsiderable
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (finite2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- consommable