unnecessary
Americanadjective
noun
plural
unnecessariesadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unnecessary
Explanation
Anything that is extra or not needed is unnecessary. Wearing long underwear in July is an unnecessary precaution against being cold. If you don't need something, it's unnecessary. You take an unnecessary risk if you get in the car and don't bother to fasten your seatbelt. Driving your car when you could ride a bike instead is an unnecessary use of gasoline. If you keep dropping you pen in class, your teacher might say, "That's unnecessary." Walking your dog with two leashes is definitely unnecessary. That's obvious, but lots of times it's hard to tell what's necessary and what's unnecessary.
Vocabulary lists containing unnecessary
List 3
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List 9
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"New Michigan Graduation Requirements Shortchange Many Students"
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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.
Unnecessary sequels that a bunch of suits knew would rake in the dough.
From Salon • Dec. 24, 2024
Unnecessary paintings, sculptures and installations by Vija Celmins, E.V.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2024
Unnecessary public drama is a permanent ingredient in the stew here, and apparently even a steady, skilled chef can’t extract it.
From Washington Post • Oct. 13, 2022
Unnecessary antibiotic use can promote resistant bacteria, potentially affecting the health of everyone.
From New York Times • Nov. 27, 2021
Do you think that the unrestrained performance of Jazz-music conduces to the moral betterment of the simian proletariat?—That seems to me to be a question which bears on the administration of the Unnecessary Noises Act.
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 156, May 21, 1919 by Various
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.
