unnecessarily

adverb

un·​nec·​es·​sar·​i·​ly ˌən-ˌne-sə-ˈser-ə-lē How to pronounce unnecessarily (audio)
: not by necessity : to an unnecessary degree
unnecessarily harsh criticism

Examples of unnecessarily in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
This is also important so that patients are not unnecessarily placed on medications that may not help them. Mill Etienne, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025 Cautious of what some may think of unnecessarily flamboyant decor, Mulvaney wasn't aiming for pointless blasts of feminine touches everywhere. Moná Thomas, People.com, 22 May 2025 Part of the problem is identifying and treating aggressive cancers like Biden's while not unnecessarily treating men with slow-growing cancers unlikely to sicken them. Ronnie Cohen, NPR, 21 May 2025 At certain points in the 20th century, dystopian novels like Animal Farm and 1984 may have seemed unnecessarily alarmist, cautionary tales but not necessarily foregone conclusions about our future. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for unnecessarily

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unnecessarily was in 1565

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Cite this Entry

“Unnecessarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unnecessarily. Accessed 30 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

unnecessarily

adverb
un·​nec·​es·​sar·​i·​ly ˌən-ˌnes-ə-ˈser-ə-lē How to pronounce unnecessarily (audio)
1
: not by necessity
spent money unnecessarily
2
: to an unnecessary degree
an unnecessarily harsh punishment

More from Merriam-Webster on unnecessarily

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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