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.
Elaine said: "Me and all the family have got to live with that, knowing that he probably needn't have died. He was a fit, well man on the outside."
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
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
I needn't have worried that she has had her head turned by LA goodie bags and limos on tap.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Now something will have to give, but it needn’t be reliable power or America’s AI ambitions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
“Well, really, I think we needn’t go into that now,” he said smoothly.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
