Describing something that is not essential for survival or the continued functioning of something. This can apply to organs, components, activities, or information. A non-vital element may be useful, desirable, or contribute to overall well-being, but its absence does not lead to immediate harm or failure. In a medical context, it might refer to procedures or treatments not crucial for preserving life. In other contexts, it describes aspects that, while perhaps beneficial, are not fundamental to achieving a core objective or purpose. This word implies a degree of expendability or replaceability.
Non-vital meaning with examples
- The surgeon determined that the procedure was non-vital; the patient could live comfortably without it, though it might improve their quality of life. The hospital prioritized the vital operations, postponing the non-vital procedures due to the surge in emergency room admissions. The family decided against the non-vital surgery due to financial constraints, opting for alternative therapies.
- The company decided to reduce costs by eliminating non-vital departments such as the in-house recreational facilities and staff perks. Management deemed the team building exercises non-vital; they focused solely on core deliverables, the non-vital elements were removed. The marketing campaign targeted vital demographics while neglecting non-vital consumer profiles to maximize ROI.
- During the system upgrade, the IT team focused on restoring critical functionalities before addressing non-vital features like personalized dashboards. The project manager marked the design changes as non-vital, and prioritized resolving technical issues. The programmer refactored the code removing non-vital lines of code that were no longer relevant.
- The school board debated eliminating the non-vital art and music programs to free up resources for core subjects. The principal decided that field trips were non-vital, so funding was reallocated. The curriculum was reviewed, and they found that the summer courses were non-vital, allowing the funds to be used elsewhere.
- The government considered relaxing restrictions on non-vital businesses. Public health officials had to decide which activities were non-vital in order to limit the impact on the economy. The epidemiologist said that the mask mandate for non-vital business was lifted to stimulate business activity.