unnecessarily
adverb
un·nec·es·sar·i·ly
ˌən-ˌne-sə-ˈser-ə-lē 
: not by necessity : to an unnecessary degree
unnecessarily harsh criticism
Examples of unnecessarily in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Perez’s family has said the teen was suffering a behavioral episode at the time of the shooting and that authorities unnecessarily escalated the situation.
—
Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
Many point to the recent tariffs on Canadian goods as the breaking point, creating frustration and resentment among citizens who view these taxes as both unnecessarily punitive and damaging.
—Natalie Preddie, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2025
This includes respecting employees’ focus time, not interrupting their workflow unnecessarily and demonstrating effective communication habits.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Perhaps half of Naz’s dialogue is narration spoken directly to the audience, unnecessarily siphoning drama from the action.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnecessarily
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Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
Many point to the recent tariffs on Canadian goods as the breaking point, creating frustration and resentment among citizens who view these taxes as both unnecessarily punitive and damaging.
—Natalie Preddie, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2025
This includes respecting employees’ focus time, not interrupting their workflow unnecessarily and demonstrating effective communication habits.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Perhaps half of Naz’s dialogue is narration spoken directly to the audience, unnecessarily siphoning drama from the action.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unnecessarily
Cite this Entry
“Unnecessarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unnecessarily. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unnecessarily
adverb
un·nec·es·sar·i·ly
ˌən-ˌnes-ə-ˈser-ə-lē
1
: not by necessity
spent money unnecessarily
2
: to an unnecessary degree
an unnecessarily harsh punishment
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