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
That involves reducing red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy, as well as fixing Indonesia’s reputation for opaqueness and, sometimes, corruption.
—
Lionel Lim, Fortune, 31 July 2025
Frank said that with the one traffic circle the city can actually add about seven spaces by converting parallel parking to diagonal parking on wider streets and removing some unnecessary red curbs nearby in the Barrio.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2025
On the short-term side, services are designed to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations through skilled medical care like nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and medical social work.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 30 July 2025
From sky-high heels and stiff business attire to bulky belts and even barefoot passengers (yes, that happens), these in-flight missteps can lead to unnecessary discomfort—or worse, a hygiene horror story.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnecessary
Lionel Lim, Fortune, 31 July 2025
Frank said that with the one traffic circle the city can actually add about seven spaces by converting parallel parking to diagonal parking on wider streets and removing some unnecessary red curbs nearby in the Barrio.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2025
On the short-term side, services are designed to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations through skilled medical care like nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and medical social work.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 30 July 2025
From sky-high heels and stiff business attire to bulky belts and even barefoot passengers (yes, that happens), these in-flight missteps can lead to unnecessary discomfort—or worse, a hygiene horror story.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnecessary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnecessary
Adjective
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Superintendent Myriam Rogers said a union poll showed more teachers wanted to have a half-day on Thanksgiving than an extra day in the school year.—
Racquel Bazos,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Netflix is also looking to fill theaters later this month for extra revenue after the movie became a surprise hit for the streamer since debuting in June.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Final Thoughts Adaptive leadership is not optional in today’s world.—
Jason Ballard,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Even with this part being optional, most people grabbed paper and jotted down their reasons for yelling.—
Dominick Williams
August 6,
Kansas City Star,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Creating conditions that have led to possible mass starvation after bringing about tens of thousands of needless deaths should be the last straw.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
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The first episode premiered earlier today and, needless to say, it was filled with drama.—
Breanne L. Heldman,
People.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Nearly half of teachers believe that the professional development courses offered or demanded by their schools are largely irrelevant.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Aug. 2025
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The future of sales is about asking the questions that make your competitors' answers irrelevant.—
B.D. Dalton,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While nonessential activities—such as hiring or discretionary travel—were curtailed, core operations typically continued.—
Doug Criscitello,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
-
The People's Union encourages consumers, where possible, to redirect purchases to small, independent businesses or to delay nonessential shopping for the duration of the boycott.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 July 2025
Adjective
-
The vaunting acclaim the retrospective elicited seems largely unwarranted, though in several brilliant sequences scattered throughout his work, the unruly Rozier achieved an impulsive kind of mastery.—
James Quandt,
The New York Review of Books,
31 July 2025
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Glenn said just a day earlier that the hoopla on social media was unwarranted as many feared that the latest Jets’ signal caller could miss significant time like his predecessor, Aaron Rodgers, did in his first season in New York.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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Underly noted significant racial disparities in passage rates and said new requirements for teaching candidates to learn about the science of reading make the expensive test redundant.—
Rory Linnane,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Today, the robust power infrastructure built to serve K-25 remains available in Oak Ridge, including redundant 161- and 500-kilovolt transmission lines that transect the Clinch River site.—
Daniel Stout,
IEEE Spectrum,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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And the hierarchy must consider who else is dispensable and at what price.—
Henry Flynn,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
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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 15 Aug. 2025.
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