unnecessarily
adverb
un·nec·es·sar·i·ly
ˌən-ˌne-sə-ˈser-ə-lē 
: not by necessity : to an unnecessary degree
unnecessarily harsh criticism
Examples of unnecessarily in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For the sake of both the NBA and his own stardom, Wembanyama would be wise to stick to sports and avoid unnecessarily cutting his potential fan base in half.
—
Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
Protect your identification numbers Individuals should not carry a Social Security card in a wallet or give out their Social Security Number unnecessarily.
—Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 18 May 2026
The report also highlights a February 2025 inmate death from a gang beating that raised serious concerns about whether the victim was unnecessarily exposed to risk by attackers who mistook him for a rival.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
Set over the course of eight years (including the lockdown period during COVID), Herry’s film unfolds fluidly, neither hurrying scenes up unnecessarily, nor lingering too long on any incident.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unnecessarily
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Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
Protect your identification numbers Individuals should not carry a Social Security card in a wallet or give out their Social Security Number unnecessarily.
—Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 18 May 2026
The report also highlights a February 2025 inmate death from a gang beating that raised serious concerns about whether the victim was unnecessarily exposed to risk by attackers who mistook him for a rival.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
Set over the course of eight years (including the lockdown period during COVID), Herry’s film unfolds fluidly, neither hurrying scenes up unnecessarily, nor lingering too long on any incident.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unnecessarily
Cite this Entry
“Unnecessarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unnecessarily. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unnecessarily
adverb
un·nec·es·sar·i·ly
ˌən-ˌnes-ə-ˈser-ə-lē
1
: not by necessity
spent money unnecessarily
2
: to an unnecessary degree
an unnecessarily harsh punishment
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