Optional
Optional adjective - Subject to one's freedom of choice.
Usage example: at the resort all recreational activities are optional, and you may choose to participate in none of them
Unnecessary is a synonym for optional. In some cases you can use "Unnecessary" instead an adjective "Optional".
Nearby Words: option, optionally
Unnecessary
Unnecessary adjective - Not needed by the circumstances or to accomplish an end.
Usage example: that large suitcase is unnecessary—we are only going to be away for a couple of days
Optional is a synonym for unnecessary in unneeded topic. You can use "Optional" instead an adjective "Unnecessary", if it concerns topics such as not required.
Nearby Word: unnecessarily
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
- surplus and optional
- surplus and unnecessary
- unessential and optional
- unessential and unnecessary
- nonessential and optional
- nonessential and unnecessary
- spare and optional
- spare and unnecessary
- dispensable and optional
- dispensable and unnecessary
- unwarranted and optional
- unwarranted and unnecessary
- needless and optional
- needless and unnecessary
Both words in one sentence
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The other three are part of optional quests which become unnecessary to complete once you retrieve their zone's seed.
Source: Video Game / Neverwinter -
Most Command & Conquer games features optional objectives in missions, but Tiberian Sun went one step beyond and featured optional missions, unnecessary to progress further in the campaign but granting some sort of advantage in the associated main mission.
Source: Sidequest - It often shows up in the Minigame Zone, and making a massive bank of minigames to choose from can take unnecessary time for what is often an optional area to get rare and powerful items, so having it in only one location is more convenient for both developers and players.
Source: Acceptable Breaks from Reality
Cite this Source
Unnecessary and Optional. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/optional/unnecessary
Optional & Unnecessary. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/optional/unnecessary>.
Unnecessary or Optional. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/optional/unnecessary.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "optional" and "unnecessary" have occurred on timeline