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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of unnecessary
Comparing past trips or comparing siblings is a sure way to create unnecessary tension.
—
Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The architecture competition was delayed because it was criticized for being too costly and unnecessary following the October theft of France’s crown jewels from the Louvre.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 18 May 2026
The system would direct signals more precisely and reduce unnecessary interference with nearby networks.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 May 2026
What causes this high level of anxiety, and is there any way to avoid the unnecessary drama?
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unnecessary
Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The architecture competition was delayed because it was criticized for being too costly and unnecessary following the October theft of France’s crown jewels from the Louvre.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 18 May 2026
The system would direct signals more precisely and reduce unnecessary interference with nearby networks.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 May 2026
What causes this high level of anxiety, and is there any way to avoid the unnecessary drama?
—R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unnecessary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnecessary
Adjective
-
For the more adventurous, a coastal path recently opened that snakes around the foot of the dramatic Dois Irmãos to São Conrado and is well worth the extra legwork for the unforgettable vistas.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
-
That sixth-place finish was also worth an extra £96,000 to the public purse.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
Credit insurance is typically optional, with the exception of private mortgage insurance (PMI) on a home loan.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
The study’s scope includes an optional component — triggered only if the initial assessment warrants it — that would produce a conceptual design and site plan for a potential eastern substation, including cost estimates.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Their thinking addresses a number of important, mostly non-environmental, social goals, and touches a nerve in many of us who have seen needless bureaucracy stop good things.—
John Reid,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
Local advocates say needless removals and inadequate watering are threatening decades of neighborhood cooling and environmental health benefits.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Without it, the risk isn’t lagging behind but becoming irrelevant.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
And Thursday night’s performance, while not wholly irrelevant, was just another television rerun broadcast to a less-than-mass audience.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Officials on Sunday were also asking nonessential businesses to close and said their water service would be shut off.—
Veronica Ortega,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
-
New York Penn Station will also only be open to matchgoers beginning four hours before the start of games, and area residents were urged to avoid nonessential NJ Transit travel on game days.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Aside from the occasional signs of energy from Urban, the movie only really sparks to life when laser-eyed Australian mercenary Kano (Josh Lawson) is brought back for reasons even the other characters in the movie acknowledge are unwarranted.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, Kimmel’s defenders have said outcry over a joke is unwarranted and an attack on free speech.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In their announcement on Tuesday, Patrick and Burrows acknowledged that some camps are having difficulty complying and that there are other ways to obtain reliable, redundant internet access.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
-
If all of that body-happy lingo sounds a little redundant, there’s an exclamation point at the end of it.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Ornaments are no more dispensable than foundations.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Many people are trying to protect themselves from becoming dispensable as the role of AI expands in the workplace, said Erik Brynjolfsson, an economics professor at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unnecessary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnecessary. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
