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.
Models are also taught to be clear and avoid unnecessary complexity, goals famously enshrined in Strunk & White’s “The Elements of Style.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Finally, the Judicial Council, which makes policy for California courts, should establish monitoring standards, reporting requirements and training protocols that ensure courts no longer impose unnecessary or unconstitutional pretrial incarceration.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
The Investment Company Institute, whose members include mutual funds, said that any changes should balance “reducing unnecessary compliance burdens and preserving the quality disclosure framework that underpins investor confidence and effective price discovery.”
From Barron's • May 5, 2026
It will improve healthcare by reducing medical errors and unnecessary tests.
From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026
The gesture is completely unnecessary, but I pretend my little injury is maybe worse than I thought.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
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.
