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Unnecessary vs Excessive - What's the difference?

unnecessary | excessive |

Excessive is a synonym of unnecessary.



As adjectives the difference between unnecessary and excessive

is that unnecessary is not needed or necessary while excessive is exceeding the usual bounds of something; extravagant; immoderate.

unnecessary

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Not needed or necessary.
    • The automatic child-frightener made clowns unnecessary .
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=December 14 , author=Steven Morris , title=Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave , work=Guardian citation , page= , passage=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.}}
  • Done in addition to requirements; unrequired.

    • Antonyms

    * (not needed) necessary, needed * (in addition to requirements) required, mandatory

    Synonyms

    * (not needed) superfluous, unneeded, needless, innecessary * (in addition to requirements) additional, innecessary

    Derived terms

    * unnecessarily * unnecessariness

    excessive

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Exceeding the usual bounds of something; extravagant; immoderate.
    • "I personally consider putting a wide vibrato on a single 16th triplet note at 160 beats per minute rather excessive , nay even stupid."

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Antonyms

    * insufficient * deficient

    Derived terms

    * excessive number

    Related terms

    * exceed * excess