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Synonyms

unnecessary

American  
[uhn-nes-uh-ser-ee] / ʌnˈnɛs əˌsɛr i /

adjective

  1. not necessary or essential; needless; unessential.

noun

plural

unnecessaries

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

unnecessary British  
/ ʌnˈnɛsɪsərɪ, -ɪsrɪ /

adjective

  1. not necessary

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • unnecessarily adverb
  • unnecessariness noun

Etymology

Origin of unnecessary

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The current requirement that lenders use three credit scores—known as tri-merge—is an anachronism and adds unnecessary costs to borrowers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Alongside government action, Albanese urged Australians to limit unnecessary usage of fuel, including switching to public transport where possible to preserve supplies for essential industries.

From BBC

The company, for example, called the separation of the roles of broker, exchange, and custodian into different firms a “a legacy of a paper-based system” unnecessary in the tokenized universe.

From Barron's

These are often benign but can lead to anxiety and unnecessary additional tests.

From The Wall Street Journal

The government also called on people to "ride bicycles, carpool, use public transport, and restrict personal vehicle use when unnecessary".

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.