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.
That is, the number of pets unnecessarily dying in New York’s shelters has declined by 72 percent over the past eight years, a significant milestone predating New York officially banning the sale of dogs and cats at pet stores in December 2024. Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025 The result is worse outcomes, including tens of thousands of people who unnecessarily die waiting for their care. Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025 Starting today, and for the next three years (at a minimum) Amtrak is cancelling 25% of the daily trains between Penn Station and Albany unnecessarily, with connections to Canada requiring additional waits of up to 90 minutes. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2025 The skips in time that occur in the play are unnecessarily italicized. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unnecessarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unnecessarily. Accessed 9 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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