unnecessary

[uhn-nes-uh-ser-ee]

adjective

1. not necessary or essential; needless; unessential.

noun

plural

unnecessaries 

1. unnecessaries, things that are not necessary or essential.

unnecessary

/ ʌnˈnɛsɪsərɪ, -ɪsrɪ /

adjective

1. not necessary

Other Word Forms

• unnecessarily adverb
• unnecessariness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unnecessary¹

First recorded in 1540–50; un- ¹ + necessary

Example Sentences

Other consumer groups have criticised the end of Windows 10 support, saying it will lead to unnecessary spending and environmental waste.

Read more on BBC

Federal authorities said the deployment was done to quell demonstrations sparked by sweeping raids on undocumented migrants, but local and state leaders called it an unnecessary escalation of force.

Read more on Barron's

The United Nations on Friday called on the Madagascar authorities to avoid unnecessary force against protesters, after several were injured in clashes with police the day before.

Read more on Barron's

UN rights chief Volker Turk "renews his call on security forces to desist from unnecessary force and to uphold the rights to free association and peaceful assembly," it said.

Read more on Barron's

Lloyd Webber: Things that one knows are completely unnecessary.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• avoidable www.thesaurus.com
• futile 
• gratuitous 
• irrelevant 
• needless 
• redundant 
• superfluous 
• unneeded www.thesaurus.com
• useless 
• worthless