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.
One of the most brilliant aspects of “Maddie’s Secret” is that one needn’t be familiar with TV movies to find Early’s film funny or entertaining.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
It’s further proof that an award dictated by length needn’t be bound by anything else.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026
"They wanted to show there was a different perspective, that he needn't expect complete support for his views."
From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2026
Yet the long-term trajectory for stocks suggests that investors needn’t wait for clarity before putting money to work.
From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026
‘A nasty end, and I wish I needn’t have seen it; but it’s a good riddance.’
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
