adverb
unnecessarily
adverb
1
In a way that is not needed.
"He apologized unnecessarily for something that wasn't his fault."
"The meeting dragged on unnecessarily long."
How to Use Unnecessarily
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDoing more than is actually required.
Common pairings
unnecessarily complicated
unnecessarily harsh
Word Forms
more unnecessarily comparative, most unnecessarily superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “unnecessarily”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
He apologized _____ for something that wasn't his fault.
Etymology
From unnecessary + -ly.