unnecessarily
adverb
un·nec·es·sar·i·ly
ˌən-ˌne-sə-ˈser-ə-lē 
: not by necessity : to an unnecessary degree
unnecessarily harsh criticism
Examples of unnecessarily in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Simplifying these requirements may seem like sensible policy in fire-prone California, but opponents of SB 610 say the plan to abolish the ranking system unnecessarily seizes control from local governments and promotes more housing construction in high-risk areas.
—
Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 28 Feb. 2025
Mid-America Transplant, based in St. Louis, began requiring the use of open offers whenever kidneys hit 12 hours outside a donor’s body, which employees said was unnecessarily brief.
—Brian M. Rosenthal, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Sometimes airports are much larger than anticipated, or the signage can be unclear, making just finding your way to the exit an unnecessarily stressful start to your vacation.
—Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
How to protect older adults The best way to keep older adults safe from respiratory illnesses is to ensure they aren’t unnecessarily exposed to disease-causing viruses and bacteria.
—Alice Park, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnecessarily
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.
Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 28 Feb. 2025
Mid-America Transplant, based in St. Louis, began requiring the use of open offers whenever kidneys hit 12 hours outside a donor’s body, which employees said was unnecessarily brief.
—Brian M. Rosenthal, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Sometimes airports are much larger than anticipated, or the signage can be unclear, making just finding your way to the exit an unnecessarily stressful start to your vacation.
—Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
How to protect older adults The best way to keep older adults safe from respiratory illnesses is to ensure they aren’t unnecessarily exposed to disease-causing viruses and bacteria.
—Alice Park, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnecessarily
Cite this Entry
“Unnecessarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unnecessarily. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unnecessarily
adverb
un·nec·es·sar·i·ly
ˌən-ˌnes-ə-ˈser-ə-lē
1
: not by necessity
spent money unnecessarily
2
: to an unnecessary degree
an unnecessarily harsh punishment
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share