Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Showing results for unnecessary. Search instead for unnecessary/2.
Definitions

unnecessary

[uhn-nes-uh-ser-ee] / ʌnˈnɛs əˌsɛr i /
ADJECTIVE
not required
Synonyms
STRONGEST
avoidable futile gratuitous irrelevant needless redundant superfluous unneeded useless worthless
WEAK
accidental additional beside the point casual causeless chance dispensable excess exorbitant expendable extraneous extrinsic fortuitous haphazard inessential lavish noncompulsory nonessential optional prodigal profuse random supererogatory surplus uncalled-for uncritical undesirable unessential unrequired wanton
Antonyms
STRONGEST
necessary needed valuable worthwhile
WEAK
indispensable required

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The company, for example, called the separation of the roles of broker, exchange, and custodian into different firms a “a legacy of a paper-based system” unnecessary in the tokenized universe.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Further, regulations are unnecessary because existing civil and criminal statutes already provide robust remedies for fraud, harm and other misconduct.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

The Countryside Alliance, which campaigns on rural issues, said a ban would be "unnecessary, unjustified and unfair".

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

It wasn't a burden as such, but an unnecessary weight of expectation.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

He stayed there, exposed to the sun and the rain, as if the thongs were unnecessary, for a dominion superior to any visible bond kept him tied to the trunk of the chestnut tree.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.