unneedful
Definition
- Adjective:
- Not necessary: "unneedful" describes something that is not required or essential; superfluous.
- Not in need of: When used with "of," it means lacking a requirement or desire for something.
Usage Examples
- (The additional items were not necessary.)
- (He did not require help.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be unneedful of": to not require or be in need of something.
- She was unneedful of his advice, as she had already made her decision. (She had no need for his guidance.)
- "unneedful expenditure": spending that is wasteful or unnecessary.
- The committee cut all unneedful expenses from the budget. (They removed all non-essential costs.)
Variants and Related Words
- Needful (adj): necessary or required.
- It is needful to bring a passport for international travel. (It is a necessary requirement.)
- Unneedfully (adv): in an unnecessary manner.
- He unneedfully complicated the simple task. (He made it more complex than required.)
- Unneedfulness (n): the state of being unnecessary.
- The unneedfulness of the rule became apparent after the policy change. (The rule was shown to be not required.)
Synonyms
- Unnecessary: not needed; superfluous.
- Redundant: exceeding what is necessary; more than enough.
- Superfluous: more than is needed; excessive.
- Gratuitous: uncalled for; lacking good reason.
Related Idioms
- A needless worry: an anxiety about something that is not necessary.
- His fear of failure was a needless worry, as he had prepared thoroughly. (His anxiety was unneedful.)
Note on Usage
- "Unneedful" is an uncommon word in modern English, often replaced by "unnecessary" or "needless." It is most frequently found in formal or literary contexts, or in older texts.