needn't
AmericanUsage
See contraction.
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.
We needn’t worry that they are being irresponsible, though.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
Students needn’t share Lincoln’s faith to understand that it guided his decision.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
The house needn’t be fleshed out to be made to seem real, but since it plays such an important role in the play, its presence onstage ought to at least be palpable to the characters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026
"There's been such a lot of pressure that they needn't have had at their age," she added.
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026
“Didn’t Professor Flitwick let her in earlier this evening, at your urgent request? Perhaps she could open the door for you? Then you needn’t wake up half the castle.”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
