unnecessarily

adverb

un·​nec·​es·​sar·​i·​ly ˌən-ˌne-sə-ˈser-ə-lē How to pronounce unnecessarily (audio)
: not by necessity : to an unnecessary degree
unnecessarily harsh criticism

Examples of unnecessarily in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But policing experts say the aggressive approach is provoking unnecessarily dangerous encounters. Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 28 June 2025 With Friday’s ruling, though, they are unnecessarily handcuffed. Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 27 June 2025 But the administration's attempt to root it out has been unnecessarily chaotic. Amanda Castro hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025 Now, here’s where things get unnecessarily confusing: The Showtime cable network was also renamed Paramount+ With Showtime in 2023. Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for unnecessarily

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unnecessarily was in 1565

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unnecessarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unnecessarily. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

unnecessarily

adverb
un·​nec·​es·​sar·​i·​ly ˌən-ˌnes-ə-ˈser-ə-lē How to pronounce unnecessarily (audio)
1
: not by necessity
spent money unnecessarily
2
: to an unnecessary degree
an unnecessarily harsh punishment

More from Merriam-Webster on unnecessarily

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