as in extra
not needed by the circumstances or to accomplish an end
that large suitcase is unnecessary—we are only going to be away for a couple of days
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unnecessary
Republicans argued the rule created unnecessary compliance costs for energy producers.
—
Nik Popli, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
Police in Portugal have warned against taking unnecessary journeys due to concerns about traffic and streetlights failing.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
While this development became one of the draft’s biggest storylines, the prank call added an unnecessary layer of humiliation to an already challenging experience.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 28 Apr. 2025
Taking creatine only on workout days may lower costs and prevent you from consuming unnecessary amounts.
—Kirstyn Hill, Pharmd, Mph, Health, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnecessary
Nik Popli, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
Police in Portugal have warned against taking unnecessary journeys due to concerns about traffic and streetlights failing.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
While this development became one of the draft’s biggest storylines, the prank call added an unnecessary layer of humiliation to an already challenging experience.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 28 Apr. 2025
Taking creatine only on workout days may lower costs and prevent you from consuming unnecessary amounts.
—Kirstyn Hill, Pharmd, Mph, Health, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnecessary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnecessary
Adjective
-
A number of major drug companies have forecast hundreds of millions of dollars in extra costs from the tariffs, which could end up being passed on to consumers.—
Karen Weintraub,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
-
Accessories like additional bands will come at an extra cost.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
Strain into a rocks glass or up into a cocktail class that’s rimmed with tajin (also optional).—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
3 May 2025
-
The breathable fabric used on the seats makes cushions optional and gives the set a minimalist look that complements its clean silhouette.—
Clint Davis,
People.com,
3 May 2025
Adjective
-
The stringent measures led to a bitter dispute between he and the drivers, with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton dismissing Ben Sulayem’s approach as a needless power play.—
Dan Cancian,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
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Another subject will be Ian Paterson, the surgeon who left hundreds of patients disfigured after carrying out needless operations.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This is pretty much your standard-issue focus-group scene, with dopey viewers idiotically nitpicking irrelevant details.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
-
By 1917 in Russia, housewives were marching in city streets to protest a lack of food, peasants were seizing land, and many Russians saw the czarist government as irrelevant, even treasonous.—
Margaret MacMillan,
The Atlantic,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The top nonessential items and services that Americans consider to be necessities are streaming services like Netflix and Hulu.—
Alexandra Pastore,
Footwear News,
5 May 2025
-
Also, market losses make investors feel poorer and less willing to spend money on nonessential items.—
Russ Wiles,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The case highlights a major legal question about government accountability tied to unwarranted law enforcement raids.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Philo said that the multi-agency response to alleged vandalism was unwarranted.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Within that reality, today’s Netflix premiere of Black Mirror’s seventh season feels redundant.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2025
-
In the configuration shown here at the symposium, the Eagle vehicle features two seats for crew, each with its own redundant and mirrored controls, meaning either astronaut can control the rover.—
Brett Tingley,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
To the Soviet state, the lives and the health of the local population in these remote areas were dispensable.—
Franziska Exeler,
The Dial,
18 Feb. 2025
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But last night’s halftime show painted Drake as a dispensable henchman and America as the ultimate adversary.—
Clover Hope,
Pitchfork,
10 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unnecessary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnecessary. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
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