unnecessaryun‧ne‧ces‧sa‧ry /ʌnˈnesəsəri $ -seri/ ●●○ adjective 
an unnecessary expense There’s no point in taking unnecessary risks. We can’t afford any unnecessary delays. Williams was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to animals—unnecessarily /ʌnˈnesəsərəli $ ˌʌn-nesəˈserəli/ adverb: I don’t want to worry you unnecessarily.COLLOCATIONSadverbstotally/completely/entirely unnecessary· The suffering of these animals is totally unnecessary.quite unnecessary British English· ‘I’ll give you a lift.’ ‘Thank you, but that’s quite unnecessary.’nounsunnecessary suffering· She admitted causing the dog unnecessary suffering.an unnecessary risk· Neither team is likely to take any unnecessary risks, so the result will probably be a draw.an unnecessary expense/cost· He thinks advertising is an unnecessary expense.an unnecessary extravagance (=something that costs more than is necessary or more than you can afford)· The chairman called first-class airline travel an unnecessary extravagance.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- We can't afford any unnecessary delays.
- Another factor led to frustration, annoyance, and an unnecessary expenditure of about $ 800, 000.
- For years, I fended off these touching but unnecessary acts of charity.
- It is unnecessary for the purposes of this appeal, to express a conclusion upon them.
- The boy jerked them in over the gunwale, his father giving an unnecessary push from underneath.
- The company is to challenge the conditions imposed by Sefton Council on the grounds that they are unnecessary.
- The tendency to categorize black sportsmen and women differently from the rest is faintly racist and, I believe, totally unnecessary.
- This does not, of course, imply that nurses should not be concerned with the prevention of unnecessary accidents.
Longman Language Activatorwhen you do not have to do something
if you do not have to do something, you can do it if you want, but you are not forced to do it, either by a rule or by another person, or by the situation you are in: · Paola was fortunate in that she came from a wealthy family and didn't have to work.· You don't have to go if you don't want to.
spoken say this to tell someone that it is not necessary for them to do something: · There's no need to do the dishes - I'll do them in the morning.there's no need for somebody to do something: · There's no need for you to bring any food - it's all being provided.
if something is unnecessary or not necessary , it is not needed or there is no good reason for you to do it: · They want to build another shopping mall here, but we think it's completely unnecessary.it is unnecessary/not necessary to do something: · It's not necessary to wash your hair every day.
to not have to do something, because it is not necessary: · You don't need to tell Sandy - she already knows.· You needn't come with me - I can find my own way to the station.· Marian was one of those lucky students who didn't need to work hard to do well.
to not have to do something if you do not want to, especially in a situation where you might feel that you have to because other people will be upset or disappointed if you do not: · The firm is under no obligation to offer you a job.not be under any obligation to do something: · You are not under any obligation to buy anything.
if something is optional , you do not have to do it or use it but you can if you want to: · You don't have to do French - it's optional.· The holiday price includes entertainment in the evenings, and there are optional excursions on offer every day.optional for: · General Studies is optional for sixth-form students.
a voluntary activity is one that you do because you want to do it, especially because you believe it is useful or will help other people, and not because you have to: · The council is trying to get more young people involved in doing voluntary work.· We get all our money from voluntary contributions.
not necessary if something is unnecessary or not necessary , you do not need to have it or do it: · Don't fill your report with unnecessary information.· A lot of the expenses that he's claiming seem totally unnecessary.it is unnecessary/not necessary to do something: · It's not necessary to spend a lot of money on clothes to look good.
British not necessary at all - use this when you are surprised that someone thinks something is necessary: · They asked to see my passport, my driver's license, and my bank card, which was hardly necessary.· At first glance, it seems hardly necessary to make another film about Van Gogh.
use this to describe bad things that are unnecessary because they could easily have been prevented or avoided: · "I am very saddened by this needless loss of life," the President said at a news conference Tuesday.· He accused the local council of allowing a needless tragedy, through a policy of not fitting smoke detectors to council houses.
done for no reason, and seeming shocking or offensive: gratuitous violence/insults/cruelty etc: · The network refused to televise the film because it contained too much gratuitous violence.· It was a completely gratuitous insult -- I hadn't said anything to offend her.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYadverbs Terrorism is totally unacceptable in a civilised world.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
· The suffering of these animals is totally unnecessary.
British English· ‘I’ll give you a lift.’ ‘Thank you, but that’s quite unnecessary.’
nouns· She admitted causing the dog unnecessary suffering.
· Neither team is likely to take any unnecessary risks, so the result will probably be a draw.
· He thinks advertising is an unnecessary expense.
(=something that costs more than is necessary or more than you can afford)· The chairman called first-class airline travel an unnecessary extravagance.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· Paying extra for leather seats seemed like an unnecessary expense.
· The ban is causing unnecessary hardship for fishermen.
Terrorism is totally unacceptable in a civilised world.· The provision has been criticised as unnecessary as most organisers liaised with the police on a voluntary basis.
· But she managed to find another cosmetic surgeon who would perform the completely unnecessary op.· The act was senseless and completely unnecessary.· His journey had been completely unnecessary.· Longer-range devices are available on the market today but in my view they are a completely unnecessary expense.· The constituency has been destroyed because of the destruction of its industry, mining; a destruction that was completely unnecessary.· I find divine creation, or several such creations, a completely unnecessary hypothesis.
· Also the lining, the types and varieties of which are many, is quite unnecessary!· The greybeards made a quite unnecessary fuss about this and I was forced to employ my stout stick.· The analogy between cultural and genetic evolution has frequently been pointed out, sometimes in the context of quite unnecessary mystical overtones.· It was quite unnecessary that Underwood should clasp her waist like that.· Stuart said he'd given Oliver some money, which I thought was quite unnecessary, not that I said so.· The only comfort is to remember that it is usually foreseeable and quite unnecessary.· The illegal break-in at the Watergate Building was in retrospect quite unnecessary in terms of Nixon's electoral changes in 1972.· Often this is quite unnecessary, since what they are doing is as genuine research as any.
· Their suffering is totally unnecessary when they could easily be slaughtered near the farm of production.· It was totally unnecessary, to begin with.· A locum consultant failed to spot the result of her earlier test and arranged for a totally unnecessary exploratory operation.· The funny part of the story is that it was totally unnecessary.· The tendency to categorize black sportsmen and women differently from the rest is faintly racist and, I believe, totally unnecessary.· As is now clear, it was this totally unnecessary act of hubris that more than anything else frightened the voters away.· Biological media is totally unnecessary and a waste of space.· What is happening here is barbaric and totally unnecessary.
NOUN· Optimal treatment of attacks can be life saving but suboptimal treatment or unnecessary delay in the provision of care can be fatal.
· To cut unnecessary duplication, Ford decided last year to reduce its horn choices to three.
· Parking where you have done seems a rather unnecessary expense, doesn't it?· We feel that this is a very unnecessary expense and would be very time consuming for us to calculate.· I do not complain about that so far as he is concerned because no doubt it would be an additional and unnecessary expense for him.· But objectors say the loo is an unnecessary expense.· Most men consider them an unnecessary expense, if they consider them at all; contraception is a women's issue.· This can save time, worry and unnecessary expense for your family.· Longer-range devices are available on the market today but in my view they are a completely unnecessary expense.
· A pair of racing shoes could lift your performance or leave you with an appealing but unnecessary extravagance.· It was an unnecessary extravagance, since I would have to be driven a hundred miles back in a car.· In hardback, which he knew she'd think an unnecessary extravagance.
· An unnecessary operation was deemed to be one that was performed without pathological evidence of surgically remediable disease.· At this writing there seems to be a movement against circumcision on the ground that all unnecessary operations ought to be avoided.· The proportion of unnecessary operations decreased with increasing time between presentation and operation with no increase in the proportion of complicated appendicitis.
· Neither side is likely to take any unnecessary risks in a key game for both teams, so a draw is likely.
· He had carried out a deliberate act causing unnecessary suffering and cruelty.· But in Leeds High Court, a vet denied the mink endured unnecessary suffering.· They are both accused of fourteen offences of causing unnecessary suffering to animals.· Woodruff admitted causing unnecessary suffering when she appeared before Swindon Magistrates.· Doctors were unable to treat them unless and until their parents had been traced and this could cause unnecessary suffering.· He denied two charges of abandoning the pets in circumstances likely to cause them unnecessary suffering on October 23 last year.
· The whole progress of mankind ought to have consisted in this: the elimination of unnecessary work.· In either case, a large amount of unnecessary work would have to be carried out.· One of the best ways to improve the cost and time performance of any project is to identify and eliminate unnecessary work.
WORD FAMILYnounnecessitythe necessariesthe necessaryadjectivenecessary ≠ unnecessaryverbnecessitateadverbnecessarily ≠ unnecessarily
not needed, or more than is neededunnecessary expense/cost/extravagance etc an unnecessary expense There’s no point in taking unnecessary risks. We can’t afford any unnecessary delays. Williams was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to animals—unnecessarily /ʌnˈnesəsərəli $ ˌʌn-nesəˈserəli/ adverb: I don’t want to worry you unnecessarily.COLLOCATIONSadverbstotally/completely/entirely unnecessary· The suffering of these animals is totally unnecessary.quite unnecessary British English· ‘I’ll give you a lift.’ ‘Thank you, but that’s quite unnecessary.’nounsunnecessary suffering· She admitted causing the dog unnecessary suffering.an unnecessary risk· Neither team is likely to take any unnecessary risks, so the result will probably be a draw.an unnecessary expense/cost· He thinks advertising is an unnecessary expense.an unnecessary extravagance (=something that costs more than is necessary or more than you can afford)· The chairman called first-class airline travel an unnecessary extravagance.