- not necessary
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
un•nec•es•sar•y /ʌnˈnɛsəˌsɛri/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- not necessary; needless;
not essential:an unnecessary addition.
un•nec•es•sar•y
(un nes′ə ser′ē),USA pronunciation adj., n., pl. -sar•ies.
adj.
n.
un•nec•es•sar•i•ly
(un nes′ə sâr′ə lē, -nes′ə ser′-),USA pronunciation adv.
un•nec′es•sar′i•ness, n.
adj.
- not necessary or essential; needless;
unessential.
n.
- unnecessaries, things that are not necessary or essential.
- un-1 + necessary 1540–50
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
unnecessary /ʌnˈnɛsɪsərɪ; -ɪsrɪ/ adj
'unnecessary' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
bang on
- boot
- breach of the peace
- bureaucracy
- carshare
- economy
- et cetera
- fifth wheel
- fuss
- hair
- needless
- package
- point-blank
- rationalize
- re-
- redundant
- repetitious
- repetitive
- sexual harassment
- song and dance
- tubeless tyre
- uncalled-for
- until
- witter
- blonde
- borrow
- chicken
- chop
- cloud
- concise
- deadwood
- deck
- degenderize
- dispensable
- economical
- excess baggage
- expenditure
- extravagance
- featherbedding
- frank
- garbage
- gild
- gimmick
- gold-plating
- gratuitous
- haze
- imperious
- in
- labor
- lead