unnecessary
Could do without
Unnecessary describes something not needed or required—it could be removed or omitted without loss: unnecessary expenses, unnecessary suffering.
The word often carries mild criticism, suggesting something wasteful or excessive: That comment was unnecessary.
An unnecessary risk is one taken without good reason.
Capable of being stopped
- optionalNot mandatory
- dispensableAble to be sacrificed
- nonessentialNot required or needed
- unneededNot required at all
inessential · unrequired · skippable · elective · escapable · bypassable · avertable · evitable
Without adequate justification
- unjustifiedLacking adequate reason
- uncalled-forNot justified or necessary
- unprovokedWithout prior instigation
- unmeritedNot rightfully due
baseless · groundless · wanton · needless · causeless · inexcusable · unasked · unsolicited
Exact replica of original
- repetitiveMarked by recurrence
- repetitiousCharacterized by needless recurrence
- tautologicalSelf-repeating in meaning
- pleonasticUnnecessarily wordy in expression
superfluous · duplicative · reiterative · verbose · wordy · overlapping · echoing · restated
Unnecessary additional effort
- surplusAmount exceeding requirement
- overabundanceExcessive quantity beyond need
- glutExcessive surplus
- superfluityExcessive amount beyond necessity
surfeit · oversupply · overage · redundancy · overflow · saturation · profusion · overload
Lacking any value
- futileIncapable of producing results
- pointlessLacking any purpose
- unproductiveFailing to achieve results
- fruitlessProducing no useful outcome
vain · ineffectual · purposeless · idle · otiose · bootless · unavailing · hollow
Carelessly used up
- profligateRecklessly extravagant or dissolute
- extravagantExceeding sensible bounds
- frivolousNot worthy of attention
- inefficientPoor at using resources
prodigal · spendthrift · lavish · misused · wasted · imprudent · thoughtless · reckless
Not pertinent
- peripheralExternal computer add-on
- incidentalMinor and unplanned
- ancillaryProviding additional support
- tangentialBarely connected to main point
unrelated · immaterial · inapplicable · off-topic · digressive · secondary · supplementary · parenthetical
Worthless discarded items
- messDisorderly, troublesome condition
- disarrayLack of order
- litterScattered waste or debris
- debrisScattered broken fragments
detritus · flotsam · bric-a-brac · knickknacks · tchotchkes · accumulated · hoarded · jumble
preventable
Capable of being stopped
- optionalNot mandatory
- dispensableAble to be sacrificed
- nonessentialNot required or needed
unneeded · inessential · unrequired · skippable · elective · escapable · bypassable · avertable · evitable · omissible
unwarranted
Without adequate justification
- unjustifiedLacking adequate reason
- uncalled-forNot justified or necessary
- unprovokedWithout prior instigation
unmerited · baseless · groundless · wanton · needless · causeless · inexcusable · unasked · unsolicited · uninvited
duplicate
Exact replica of original
- repetitiveMarked by recurrence
- repetitiousCharacterized by needless recurrence
- tautologicalSelf-repeating in meaning
pleonastic · superfluous · duplicative · reiterative · verbose · wordy · overlapping · echoing · restated · doubled
overkill
Unnecessary additional effort
- surplusAmount exceeding requirement
- overabundanceExcessive quantity beyond need
- glutExcessive surplus
superfluity · surfeit · oversupply · overage · redundancy · overflow · saturation · profusion · overload · bloat
worthless
Lacking any value
- futileIncapable of producing results
- pointlessLacking any purpose
- unproductiveFailing to achieve results
fruitless · vain · ineffectual · purposeless · idle · otiose · bootless · unavailing · hollow · empty
squandered
Carelessly used up
- profligateRecklessly extravagant or dissolute
- extravagantExceeding sensible bounds
- frivolousNot worthy of attention
inefficient · prodigal · spendthrift · lavish · misused · wasted · imprudent · thoughtless · reckless · excessive
irrelevant
Not pertinent
- peripheralExternal computer add-on
- incidentalMinor and unplanned
- ancillaryProviding additional support
tangential · unrelated · immaterial · inapplicable · off-topic · digressive · secondary · supplementary · parenthetical · external
junk
Worthless discarded items
debris · detritus · flotsam · bric-a-brac · knickknacks · tchotchkes · accumulated · hoarded · jumble · hodgepodge
- nonessentialunneeded, nonessential, inessential, dispensable, expendable
- U-wordsugly, ultimate, ultra, umbrella, unable
- expendabledisposable, replaceable, dispensable, expendable, redundant
- prioritypriority, top priority, high priority, low-priority, first priority
unnecessarynecessary
Indispensable, cannot omit
essential · needed · required · indispensable · vital
unnecessarycrucial
Of supreme importance
all-important · urgent · pressing · imperative · critical
unnecessarymandatory
Required by rule
obligatory · required · compulsory · incumbent · imperative
- unnecessary roughnessPenalty for excessive violence
- unnecessary surgeryProcedure lacking medical justification
- unnecessary tests