unnecessary

[ uhn-nes-uh-ser-ee ]

adjective

1. not necessary or essential; needless; unessential.

noun

, plural un·nec·es·sar·ies.

1. unnecessaries, things that are not necessary or essential.

unnecessary

/ ʌnˈnɛsɪsərɪ; -ɪsrɪ /

adjective

1. not necessary

Derived Forms

• unˈnecessariness, noun
• unˈnecessarily, adverb

Other Words From

• un·nec·es·sar·i·ly [uhn-nes-, uh, -, sair, -, uh, -lee, -, nes, -, uh, -ser-], adverb
• un·neces·sari·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unnecessary¹

First recorded in 1540–50; un- ¹ + necessary

Example Sentences

In fact, “Wicked” operates with its audience constantly in mind, keeping an amiable pace that manages not to be bogged down by too many songs or unnecessary reprises.

From Salon

As such, voters might have felt that another wage hike was unnecessary, said Chris Thornberg, an economist who founded Beacon Economics, a research and consulting firm in Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

The inquest into her death concluded it had been caused by an "unnecessary medical procedure contributed to by neglect".

From BBC

Yet our current system often funnels patients into expensive, sometimes unnecessary treatments.

From Salon

The defendants are accused of making false diagnoses to transfer babies to 19 private hospitals, where they were allegedly kept in intensive care in neonatal units for lengthy, sometimes unnecessary treatments.

From BBC

Related Words

• avoidable
• futile
• gratuitous
• irrelevant
• needless
• redundant
• superfluous
• unneeded
• useless
• worthless