: not needed : unnecessary
needless waste
needlessly
adverb
needlessness
noun
see also needless to say
Examples of needless in a Sentence
needless expenditures that pushed the construction project way over budget
Recent Examples on the Web
Absent reasonable testing thresholds, Sams contends, the sport invites needless controversy and imposes unnecessary hardship on its participants.
—
Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Blyth, needless to say, fits the bill.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 20 Jan. 2026
The murder of George Floyd, never far in the background of the city’s collective memory, has returned to the surface, as one needless murder in the streets recalls another.
—Scott Meslow, The Verge, 19 Jan. 2026
And those days are, needless to say, long gone.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for needless
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Blyth, needless to say, fits the bill.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 20 Jan. 2026
The murder of George Floyd, never far in the background of the city’s collective memory, has returned to the surface, as one needless murder in the streets recalls another.
—Scott Meslow, The Verge, 19 Jan. 2026
And those days are, needless to say, long gone.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for needless
Cite this Entry
“Needless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/needless. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
