Word Study
unnecessary
CIDE DICTIONARY
unnecessary, a.
Not necessary; not required under the circumstances; unless; needless; as, unnecessary labor, care, or rigor. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
unnecessary, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 not necessary.
2 more than is necessary (with unnecessary care).
--n. (pl. -ies) (usu. in pl.) an unnecessary thing.
--adj.
1 not necessary.
2 more than is necessary (with unnecessary care).
--n. (pl. -ies) (usu. in pl.) an unnecessary thing.
Derivative
unnecessarily adv. unnecessariness n.
THESAURUS
unnecessary
de trop, dispensable, disposable, excess, expendable, expletive, gratuitous, in excess, inessential, needless, nonessential, pleonastic, prolix, redundant, spare, supererogatory, superfluous, surplus, tautologic, tautologous, to spare, uncalled-for, unessential, unneeded, unrequired, unwanted, verboseROGET THESAURUS
unnecessary
Redundancy
N redundancy, redundance, too much, too many, superabundance, superfluity, superfluence, saturation, nimiety, transcendency, exuberance, profuseness, profusion, repletion, enough in all conscience, satis superque, lion's share, more than enough, plethora, engorgement, congestion, load, surfeit, sickener, turgescence, overdose, overmeasure, oversupply, overflow, inundation, avalanche, accumulation, heap, drug, drug in the market, glut, crowd, burden, excess, surplus, overplus, epact, margin, remainder, duplicate, surplusage, expletive, work of supererogation, bonus, bonanza, luxury, intemperance, extravagance, exorbitance, lavishment, pleonasm, too many irons in the fire, embarras de richesses, redundant, too much, too many, exuberant, inordinate, superabundant, excessive, overmuch, replete, profuse, lavish, prodigal, exorbitant, overweening, extravagant, overcharged, supersaturated, drenched, overflowing, running over, running to waste, running down, crammed to overflowing, filled to overflowing, gorged, ready to burst, dropsical, turgid, plethoric, obese, superfluous, unnecessary, needless, supervacaneous, uncalled for, to spare, in excess, over and above, de trop, adscititious, supernumerary, on one's hands, spare, duplicate, supererogatory, expletive, un peu fort, over, too, over and above, overmuch, too much, too far, without measure, beyond measure, out of measure, with a to spare, over head and ears, up to one's eyes, up to one's ears, extra, beyond the mark, acervatim, it never rains but it pours, fortuna multis dat nimium nulli satis, Degree of Subservience.Inutility
N inutility, uselessness, inefficacy, futility, ineptitude, inaptitude, unsubservience, inadequacy, inefficiency, unskillfulness, disservice, unfruitfulness (unproductiveness), labor in vain, labor lost, labor of Sisyphus, lost trouble, lost labor, work of Penelope, sleeveless errand, wild goose chase, mere farce, tautology, supererogation, vanitas vanitatum, vanity, inanity, worthlessness, nugacity, triviality, caput mortuum, waste paper, dead letter, blunt tool, litter, rubbish, junk, lumber, odds and ends, cast-off clothes, button top, shoddy, rags, orts, trash, refuse, sweepings, scourings, offscourings, waste, rubble, debris, detritus, stubble, leavings, broken meat, dregs, weeds, tares, rubbish heap, dust hole, rudera, deads, fruges consumere natus, useless, inutile, inefficacious, futile, unavailing, bootless, inoperative, inadequate, inservient, unsubservient, inept, inefficient, of no avail, ineffectual, incompetent, stale, flat and unprofitable, superfluous, dispensable, thrown away, abortive, worthless, valueless, priceless, unsalable, not worth a straw, dear at any price, vain, empty, inane, gainless, profitless, fruitless, unserviceable, unprofitable, ill-spent, unproductive, hors de combat, effete, past work, obsolete, fit for the dust hole, good for nothing, of no earthly use, not worth having, not worth powder and shot, leading to no end, uncalled for, unnecessary, unneeded, uselessly, to little purpose, to no purpose, to little or no purpose, Int, cui bono?, what's the good!, actum ne agas, chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin, tanto buon che val niente.Inexpedience
N inexpedience, inexpediency, undesirableness, undesirability, discommodity, impropriety, unfitness, inutility, disadvantage, inexpedient, undesirable, unadvisable, inadvisable, objectionable, inapt, ineligible, inadmissible, inconvenient, incommodious, discommodious, disadvantageous, inappropriate, unfit, ill-contrived, ill-advised, unsatisfactory, unprofitable, unsubservient, inopportune, out of place, in the wrong place, improper, unseemly, clumsy, awkward, cumbrous, cumbersome, lumbering, unwieldy, hulky, unmanageable, impedient, unnecessary, it will never do.For further exploring for "unnecessary" in Webster Dictionary Online