unnecessary

comparative more unnecessary · superlative most unnecessary

1. Not needed or necessary.

   The automatic child-frightener made clowns unnecessary.

   3 more examples

   Every possible economy was carefully investigated and unnecessary expense, however small, eliminated. The company had no money to spare on "frills."

   1956 September, 'Precursor', “The Dursley & Midland Junction Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 599

   Robins, of Torquay, had denied a single charge of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. She claimed the microwave was accidentally turned on by one of the cats after the kitten got inside. But Knutton said the kitten was too small to even get onto the work surface.

   2011 December 14, Steven Morris, “Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave”, in The Guardian

   Yet some of the statin side effects mentioned in the study have not been proved in the scientific literature or are exaggerated and could cause unnecessary worry, he said.

   2018 December 3, Jacqueline Howard, “Are statins overprescribed? Why the risks and benefits are so complex”, in CNN

   Synonyms: superfluous, unneeded, needless, innecessary

2. Done in addition to requirements; unrequired.

   Synonyms: additional, innecessary