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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Recent Examples of unnecessary
Coupled with a crucial unnecessary roughness call on a third-quarter drive in the red zone that eventually led to a fumble, Pickens was questioned about an apparent lack of effort during the season opener.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
The shorter the ingredient list, the less room there is for unnecessary additives like stabilizers, sweeteners, or fillers that diminish the natural nutrition of the peanuts themselves.
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 10 Sep. 2025
Direct-to-consumer drug advertising has been found to pose some public health risks, including patients overdiagnosing themselves and seeking unnecessary treatments that could end up becoming more costly for them.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
These kinds of posts help stoke unnecessary fear in users seeking legitimate information about a possible disaster.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnecessary
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
The shorter the ingredient list, the less room there is for unnecessary additives like stabilizers, sweeteners, or fillers that diminish the natural nutrition of the peanuts themselves.
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 10 Sep. 2025
Direct-to-consumer drug advertising has been found to pose some public health risks, including patients overdiagnosing themselves and seeking unnecessary treatments that could end up becoming more costly for them.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
These kinds of posts help stoke unnecessary fear in users seeking legitimate information about a possible disaster.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnecessary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnecessary
Adjective
-
Still, the offense wasn’t flowing, and the unit had just given an extra possession to the Jaguars with an interception that led to a touchdown.—
Mike Kaye
September 10,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Goldenberg, who is based in Cleveland, had initially picked up the extra job a few years ago to help pay down the massive student debt he and his wife, a family doctor, had accumulated during medical school.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The previously optional 5,000-pound towing package is standard now.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The orchestration layer must detect failure patterns and adapt—whether by retrying, skipping optional steps or escalating the task to a human reviewer.—
Gopikrishnan Anilkumar,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In my case, work-procrastination often takes the form of needless research.—
Gretchen Rubin,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The past eight months have been wasted by the US president in terms of planning for Ukraine’s survival and European security, with needless cozying up to Moscow and undermining of a strategic transatlantic alliance that Washington will still need in the decades to come.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Both are devoted to the same hetero fairy tale; whether the wedding is happening in the temple or on national television is irrelevant.—
Olivia Crandall,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
-
His main criticism is how many of the recommendations are either generic or irrelevant to his interests.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The other 11 are nonessential because the body is able to produce them itself or synthesize them from the essential amino acids, according to the US National Library of Medicine.—
Carolyn L. Todd,
SELF,
28 Aug. 2025
-
All nonessential government employees are off work, and most federal government offices are closed.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The Yellow Light Asks To Pause And Reflect Yellow often creates an unwarranted confusion on the road.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Negative reviews can heavily influence the purchasing decisions of readers, librarians, teachers, and booksellers, even if the accusations in those reviews are unfair and unwarranted.—
Kevin Dickinson,
Big Think,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For comparison’s sake, though, the now somewhat redundant Super Mario 3D All-Stars also contained the first Super Mario Galaxy and bizarrely went out of print back in 2021.—
Mitch Wallace,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The Dodgers are up to five left-handers in their bullpen right now, which Roberts conceded is a tad redundant.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And the hierarchy must consider who else is dispensable and at what price.—
Henry Flynn,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
-
To become a machine, after all, is to become usable and, perhaps, dispensable.—
James Poniewozik,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unnecessary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnecessary. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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