Unnecessarily
/ʌnˈnɛsɪsərɪli/
Definitions
In a way that is not needed or wanted; without justification.
/ʌnˈnɛsɪsərɪli/
Without need or justification
He worried unnecessarily about the exam.
💡 Simply: It means doing something that you didn't *have* to do. Like, if you buy a whole bunch of candy when you only wanted a little bit, that's buying candy unnecessarily!
👶 For kids: Doing something that you don't need to do.
More Examples
The company spent unnecessarily on advertising.
The committee added a new requirement unnecessarily, slowing down the process.
Don't unnecessarily complicate the design.
How It's Used
"The store was unnecessarily crowded during the off-peak hours."
"The software performs the calculations, but unnecessarily uses a large amount of memory."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
Antonyms
From "un-" (not) + "necessary" (needed) + "-ly" (adverbial suffix). The word emerged to describe actions or things done without being required or essential, building upon the established use of 'necessary'.
The word has been in use since the early 18th century, and its use has followed the growth of words like 'necessary'.
Memory tip
Imagine someone buying a second ice cream cone when they already have one. That's doing something unnecessarily!
Word Origin
"needed, unavoidable"