Unnecessary

Definition: Unnecessary

Unnecessary

Adjective

1. Not necessary.

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "unnecessary" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1321. (references)

Synonym: Unnecessary

Inexpedience

Unnecessary; (redundant).

Inutility

Vain, empty, inane; gainless, profitless, fruitless; unserviceable, unprofitable; ill-spent; unproductive; hors de combat; effete, past work; (impaired); obsolete; (old); fit for the dust hole; good for nothing; of no earthly use; not worth having, not worth powder and shot; leading to no end, uncalled for; unnecessary, unneeded.

Redundancy

Superfluous, unnecessary, needless, supervacaneous, uncalled for, to spare, in excess; over and above; (remainder); de trop; (additional); supernumerary; (reserve); on one's hands, spare, duplicate, supererogatory, expletive; un peu fort.

Crosswords: Unnecessary

I'm just saying, this seems like an unnecessary risk considering our objective, sir. (Saving Private Ryan; writing credit: Robert Rodat)

It's better to destroy than create what's unnecessary. (8 1/2; writing credit: Federico Fellini; Ennio Flaiano)

I'll never take any unnecessary mesures (Promised Land; writing credit: Frédéric D'Onfs; Olivier Langlois)

Karl, that is unnecessary destruction of public property and that is not how stegosauruses reproduce (Dinotopia; writing credit: James Gurney; Simon Moore)

I have an assistant here who thinks it's unnecessary to take names (Northern Exposure; writing credit: Khadijah Hashim)

Words are very unnecessary (Enjoy the Silence; performing artist: Depeche Mode)

Civilization is a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities. (references; author: Mark Twain)

The Unnecessary Sex (1915)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• AIDS: The Unnecessary Epidemic (reference)

• Everyone Dies!: Secrets That Can Save You Thousands in Unnecessary Funeral Costs (reference)

• First Time Parents Survival Guide to Avoid Unnecessary and Wild Spending (reference)

• Making Unions Unnecessary, 2nd Edition (reference)

  (more book examples)

Music

• Eliminate the Unnecessary [IMPORT] (reference)

• Unnecessary Niceness (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

High Tech

• Unnecessary Roughness '95 (reference)

  (more camera examples; more video game examples; more computer examples; more electronic examples; more software examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Hundreds of local townspeople gathered at the mill to watch the last transport of migrating fish past the dam and into their spawning grounds. The removal of the dams will make future fish transports unnecessary. Credit: NOAA Restoration Center.

This blindness is unnecessary and preventable. / WHO/FAO p. Credit: National Library of Medicine; photo by S. Bunnag..

Traditional hospitals and sanatoria are now judged unnecessary for most tuberculosis patients ... / WHO photo. Credit: National Library of Medicine.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

These charges shall be levied in such a manner as to render any detailed examination of cargoes unnecessary, except in cases of suspected fraud or contravention. (reference)

This disposition makes unnecessary any discussion whether such segregation also violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. (reference)

It is unnecessary to decide the injunctive relief issue, since the Texas authorities will doubtless fully recognize the Court's ruling that the Texas criminal abortion statutes are unconstitutional. (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

It is unnecessary to say that permission is always refused to men.

It was insignificant and unnecessary, and cost more than it came to.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Many thousands of unnecessary deaths will occur as a result. (references)

Some attacks are often so brief that treatment is unnecessary. (references)

It is critical to avoid unnecessary delay of the primary surgical procedure. (references)

Business

By asking for all details, the unnecessary disqualification of a firm may be avoided. (references)

Chinese purchasers frequently consider purchasing software an unnecessary expense because the product can be easily copied. (references)

Unnecessary features added to the machine will only increase its price and place the equipment in a non-competitive position. (references)

Children

Burundi

The National Assembly's approval of the ratification was completed before the existence of the Senate; therefore, the Senate's approval likely is unnecessary. (references)

Civil Liberties

Gambia

On July 6, the NIA arrested Imam Baba Leigh of the Kanifing mosque for allegedly criticizing the Government; Imam Leigh preached against corruption and waste of public funds in unnecessary ceremonies during prayers. (references)

Venezuela

Violations include expressing opinions that contain statements that are "out of context, disconnected, or unnecessary for the topic, or offensive, insidious, or degrading expressions unconnected to the topic, or unnecessary for the forming of public opinion." The ruling affirms that information can be censored prior to publication if it violates Article 57 of the Constitution, which prohibits anonymous authorship, war propaganda, and messages that promote discrimination or religious intolerance. (references)

Economic History

Nepal

Use of a local attorney for preparing required documents will ease unnecessary delays in the process. (references)

Kazakhstan

According to businesses, this leads to unnecessary delays in processing and increased costs for importers. (references)

Brazil

Nowadays, Brazilian consumers no longer consider cosmetics and toiletries superfluous or unnecessary products. (references)

Human Rights

Morocco

Human rights groups allege that poor medical care in prisons results in unnecessary deaths. (references)

Canada

At year's end, there were no complaints about unnecessary strip or body cavity searches under investigation. (references)

India

The NHRC considers new antiterrorism laws unnecessary, and opposition parties plan to block the ordinance in Parliament before it becomes permanent. (references)

Political Economy

BULGARIA

However, many businesspersons contend that unnecessary licensing, administrative inefficiency and corruption have hindered private business development. (references)

JAPAN

FAS/Japan estimates that unnecessary plant quarantine restrictions and requirements cost U.S. agriculture more than $500 million in lost sales opportunities every year. (references)

BRAZIL

The significant depreciation in the real since 1999 has probably made it unnecessary for Brazilian authorities to continue using these "administrative procedures" for the time being. (references)

Trade

Ecuador

Due to the dollarization process, currency exchange calculations are now unnecessary. (references)

Korea

Finally, implementation periods sometimes do not give foreign exporters sufficient time to comply, which lead to unnecessary and costly interruptions in trade. (references)

Worker Rights

Namibia

However, the scarcity of judges and lack of expertise in labor law causes lengthy and unnecessary delays. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "unnecessary": be unnecessary ♦ being unnecessary ♦ make unnecessary ♦ Unnecessary Procedures. Additional references.

Albanian

i tepërt (excess, excessive, excrescent, last, odd, over, overabundant, redundant, spare, superfluous, supernumerary, walloping, waste), i panevojshëm (gratuitous, needless, superfluous). (various references)

Arabic 

‏غير ضروري (dispensable, needless, superfluous, uncalled for, undue). (various references)

Bulgarian 

ненужен (needless, supernumerary, trashy, uncalled for), излишен (de trop, excrescent, expletive, needless, otiose, pleonastic, redundant, spare, superabundant, superfluous, supernumerary, supervacaneous, surplus, unwanted, waste). (various references)

Chinese 

多餘 (superfluous, surplus), 多余 (Needless, redundancy), 不必要 (needless). (various references)

Czech

zbyteèný (false, futile, good for nothing, gratuitous, needless, senseless, useless, wasted, wasteful), nepotřebný (good for nothing, needless, no earthly use, redundant, unwanted, useless), nadbyteèný (superabundant, superfluous). (various references)

Danish

unødige ophold ved grænsen (unnecessary delay at the frontier). (various references)

Dutch

overcomplete postzegel (unnecessary stamp), onnodig grensoponthoud (unnecessary delay at the frontier), nodeloos oponthoud aan de grens (unnecessary delay at the frontier). (various references)

Farsi 

نالازم , غیرواجب (Dispensable), غیرضروری (Dispensable, Superfluous, Uncalledfor, Undue, Unessential), بیش ازحدلزوم (Too). (various references)

Finnish

turha (abortive, fruitless, futile, needless, of no use, useless, vain), tarpeeton (needless, superfluous, uncalled-for, undue, useless), tarpeen (needless, superfluous, uncalled-for, undue, useless). (various references)

French

superflu (unwanted), inutile (unavailing). (various references)

German

unnötig (gratuitous, gratuitously, needless, non essential, uncalled for, unjustifiably, unnecessarily). (various references)

Greek 

όχι αναγκαίοσ, μη αναγκαίος, μη απαραίτητος, περιττόσ (dispensable, needless, odd, redundant, supererogatory, superfluous, uncalled for), περιττός (dispensable, superfluous), αναναγκαίοσ. (various references)

Hebrew 

מיותר (excrescent, gratuitous, needless, otiose, redundant, spare, superfluous), לא �"רוש, לא � חוץ. (various references)

Hungarian

szükségtelen (needless, redundant, uncalled for), felesleges (excrescent, over, redundant, spare, superfluous, surplus, uncalled for, unwanted). (various references)

Indonesian

tak perlu (nonessential). (various references)

Italian

inutile (bootless, good for nothing, idle, in vain, needless, objectless, pointless, unavailing, unfit, unsuitable, unusable, useless, vain). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

及ばない (unattainable), 余計　 (abundance, surplus, too much), 余計 (abundance, excess, superfluity, surplus, too much), 不要 (non-business, of no use, waste), 不�"� (non-business, of no use, waste), 不必要　, 不必要 . (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

およばない (unattainable), ふひつよう, ふよう (cotton rose, floating, lotus, maintenance, non-business, of no use, support, waste), よけい (abundance, blessings, excess, fortunate heredity, something bequeathed to posterity, superfluity, surplus, the rewards of virtue, too much). (various references)

Korean 

불필�"한 (superfluous). (various references)

Pig Latin

ecessaryunnay.(various references)

Portuguese

supérfluo (excrescent, needless, overabundant, overflowing, redundant, supererogatory, superfluous, supernumerary, supervacaneous, unwanted), ocioso (easy, ill-disposed, lazy, loiterer, lounger, micher, otiose, slothful), inútil (abortive, bootless, castaway, empty, fruitless, futile, good-for-nothing, naught, needless, no-go, nugatory, purposeless, rat-trap, sterile, superfluous, supervacaneous, trashy, unavailable, unavailing, unproductive, unprofitable, useless, vain, worthless), dispensável (dispensable, needless), desnecessário (needless, supererogatory, superfluous, supervacaneous, uncalled-for, unwanted). (various references)

Romanian

zadarnic (abortive, bootless, fruitless, futile, idle, ineffective, ineffectual, ineffectually, inexpedient, naught, nugatory, otiose, sinful, to no end, unavailing, unfruitful, useless, vain), superfluu (excrescent, redundant, superfluous), inutil (addle, beside the purpose, bootless, effete, excrescent, fruitless, idle, nugatory, pathetic, pathetically, superfluous, unavailing, unfruitful, unprofitable, useless, uselessly, vain, wasteful, worthless). (various references)

Russian 

ненужный (de trop, needless, supervacaneous, unneeded, unwanted, waste). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

nepotreban (needles, unessential, unneeded, useless), nenužan, koji ne iziskuje mnogo, izlišan (redundant, spare, superfluous), beskoristan (otiose, profitless, unprofitable, useless, worthless). (various references)

Spanish

innecesario (needless). (various references)

Swedish

onödig (otiose, uncalled for, wasted). (various references)

Turkish

lüzumsuz (excessive, inessential, needless, redundant, unneeded), gereksiz (digressive, excrescent, gratuitous, idle, indecent, indiscreet, inessential, needless, no, non essential, nonessential, otiose, redundant, supererogatory, superfluous, uncalled for, unjustifiable, unneeded, unneedful), gereğinden fazla (excrescent, more than enough, over, overmuch, redundant, superabundant). (various references)

Turkmen 

gereksiz. (various references)

Ukrainian

непотрібний (needless, otiose, uncalled for, waste). (various references)

Vietnamese 

vô ích (bootless, excrescent, futile, inutile, naught, needless, unavailing, unhelpful, unrequired, unwanted, useless, vainly), thừa (needless, redundant, spare, superfluous, supervacaneous), không cần thiết (dispensable, needless, non-essential, supererogatory, superfluous, supervacaneous, unneeded). (various references)

Welsh

dieisiau (needless), dianghenraid (needless), afreidiol, afraid (needless). (various references)

superfluus, supervacua, supervacuas, supervacue, supervacuis, supervacuus. (various references)

Misspellings

"Unnecessary" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: uncessary, uneccessary, unecesary, unecessary, unnecassary, unneccesary, unneccessary, unnecesary, unnecesery, unnescessary. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-2 letters: necessary, sunscreen.

-3 letters: anureses, casernes, cayennes, censures, ensnares, nearness, rennases, scanners, scunners, surcease.

-4 letters: ancress, arcuses, canners, cannery, careens, carneys, caserne, caserns, causers, causeys, cayenne, cayuses, censers, censure, ceruses, cesurae, cesuras, creases, cunners, encases, ensnare, ensures, essayer, nuances, recanes, recuses, rennase, rescues, reseaus, saucers, scanner, scenery, screens, scunner, seances, secerns, secures, senecas, sucrase.

+2 letters: unnecessarily.

+4 letters: sesquicentenary.