Word
unnecessary
Phoneticsun·nec·es·sary
US/ənˈnɛsəˌsɛɹi/
UK/ʌnnˈɛsəsəɹi/
Definitions
01not needed
adj. not needed or required in a particular situation.
adj. not essential or required; redundant to the primary objective.
“The extra explanation was unnecessary because everyone already understood the plan.”
“The manager decided that the additional safety briefing was unnecessary given the team's extensive experience with the machinery.”
Pitfall
It is unnecessary for you doing that.
It is unnecessary for you to do that.
The adjective 'unnecessary' is followed by an infinitive (to do), not a gerund (doing).
Synonyms
02excessive or uncalled for
adj. more than what is fair or needed, often used for things that are annoying or rude.
adj. exceeding what is appropriate or justifiable; often used to describe excessive force, rudeness, or complexity.
“His rude comment about her hair was completely unnecessary.”
“The referee penalised the player for an unnecessary tackle that occurred well after the whistle had blown.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From un- + necessary.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
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englishreference.com/q/unnecessary