needless
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- needlessly adverb
- needlessness noun
Etymology
Origin of needless
First recorded in 1175–1225, needless is from the Middle English word nedles. See need, -less
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 White House said that the changes were “not driven by the desire to increase tariff revenue,” but to “better align incentives to what we are trying to accomplish while reducing needless complexity.”
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
Animal welfare campaigners said the proposed legislation would stop greyhounds being maimed and killed, but critics called it a needless bill that would not improve animal welfare.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
There are no needless digressions, and their architecture is as robust and tightly engineered as their characters are fully fleshed.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026
Determining the points at which past Fed chairs became lame ducks is not an exact science, needless to say.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 19, 2026
She didn’t go home on Thursday, needless to say.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
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.
