needless
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of needless
First recorded in 1175–1225, needless is from the Middle English word nedles. See need, -less
Explanation
Something needless isn't required, necessary, or wanted. If you haven't touched that plastic back scratcher since Christmas 1992, it's probably needless. If your mom frets every time you walk out the door, you can assure her that it's needless worry — you'll be fine. And buying extremely pricey underwear might seem to be a needless expense — who cares how fancy your underwear is? Needless comes from need and its Old English root nied, "necessity."
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.
Anthropic on Thursday moved to bar users from treating its Claude AI system with needless cruelty, amid a growing philosophical debate over whether artificial intelligence can be conscious.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
He is also, needless to say, in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
But on Monday, a federal district court judge in Massachusetts postponed the effective date on the grounds that—and I am paraphrasing here—the rule is mind-bendingly stupid and would create a needless, self-inflicted economic catastrophe.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Portsmouth City Council said it was a "completely unsuitable location to bring the boats ashore" and brought "needless disruption" to the area.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Pippin trembled, fearing that Gandalf would be stung to sudden wrath, but his fear was needless.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
