Nonnecessities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Items or services that are not essential for basic functioning or survival
2. Objects deemed unnecessary for life or basic comfort, often viewed as luxury or extra
3. Things that do not serve a critical purpose or need, typically considered discretionary or superfluous

Etymology: "Nonnecessities" is the plural of "nonnecessity," a formation made by attaching the prefix "non-," meaning "not," to "necessity." Necessity itself comes from Latin "necessitas," the state of being unavoidable, so a nonnecessity is simply something that is not unavoidable, something a person could do without. The plural names the goods and extras that fall outside that category, the things a household or shopper might cut back on when money is tight.

Synonyms: luxuries, extras

Antonyms: necessities, essentials