barely necessary

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "barely necessary" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is only just needed or required, often implying that it is not essential. Example: "The additional features in the software update are barely necessary for the average user."

✓ Grammatically correct

Friends, the authentic kind, are barely necessary when you have Gucci and the Divine Stylist, Mr. Bissinger's personal shopper at the brand's flagship New York store.

At the same time transnational scourges like crime, disease and climate change demand a new sort of collaboration that was barely necessary when the modern state was invented in the 17th century.

Many lawmakers — perhaps the majority — were preoccupied with districts or states, regarded Washington as a dreary backwater and viewed the federal government as a barely necessary evil, to be tolerated, but never enhanced.

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Friends, the authentic kind, are barely necessary when you have Gucci and the Divine Stylist, Mr. Bissinger's personal shopper at the brand's flagship New York store.

The New York Times

At the same time transnational scourges like crime, disease and climate change demand a new sort of collaboration that was barely necessary when the modern state was invented in the 17th century.

The Economist

Many lawmakers — perhaps the majority — were preoccupied with districts or states, regarded Washington as a dreary backwater and viewed the federal government as a barely necessary evil, to be tolerated, but never enhanced.

The New York Times

The interesting thing about this edition is that it is presented to us almost entirely without apparatus: only seven brief notes at the end (which are barely necessary), no introduction, no information beyond that on the back cover that the author was a Canadian academic who "is mostly known today for his posthumous novel A Strange Manuscript...".

The Guardian - Books

As technology has increasingly provided for us, so first our muscle power and then our brainpower has become barely necessary for devising the means by which we are sheltered and fed.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

How can you expect children to have faith unless you give God all Glory and all honor for any good thing, to accept responsibility for your actions and never blame God for the bad-times... Do you see study as just "necessary" to barely getting through school and trudging through life?

WikiHow

Just look at Pokémon GO, a game which has been "poorly" monetized from the start with an item shop that often barely feels necessary for more than an item or two, yet the sheer size of that game made it a money-printing megahit for Niantic, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.

Forbes

Even as the casualties mounted, even as news reached home of that terrible day on the Somme in July 1916, when nearly 20,000 British soldiers (most of them recently recruited volunteers) were killed, popular support for what was seen as a just and necessary fight barely wavered.

The Economist

Neither Congress nor the BJP will come close to a majority in 2004, they barely mustered the necessary 270-odd seats between them.

The Economist

Now the big problem is a rock-bottom low birthrate -- with a fertility rate under 1.2 – barely half that necessary to replace the current population, which threatens to turn this ultra-dynamic city state into a giant old-age home.

Forbes

Although Van Buren was nominated unanimously, Johnson barely obtained the necessary two thirds of the vote.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "barely necessary", consider whether a stronger phrase like "unnecessary" or "optional" might be more appropriate to accurately reflect the situation.

Common error

Avoid using "barely necessary" when the item or action is completely unnecessary. The phrase implies at least some level of requirement, however small.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "barely necessary" functions as an adverbial modifier clarifying the degree to which something is required. It indicates a minimal level of necessity, as confirmed by Ludwig, suggesting that it's only just needed.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

17%

Science

17%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "barely necessary" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe something that is only marginally required. As validated by Ludwig, while technically correct, it implies a minimal level of importance. It appears most frequently in news and media contexts, with a neutral register suitable for various writing styles. If the need is non-existent or trivial, consider alternatives that reflect "unnecessary" or "unimportant" situations. Using more precise words will help improve clarity in specific use cases.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hardly essential

Emphasizes a lack of importance or requirement.

barely required

Highlights the minor extent to which is necessary

scarcely required

Indicates a minimal level of necessity.

minimally needed

Focuses on the minimum level of requirement.

marginally important

Highlights a slight degree of importance.

almost superfluous

Suggests the item is nearly unnecessary or extra.

just about needed

Implies something is only just necessary and nothing more

virtually unneeded

Indicates near irrelevance and non-essential quality

hardly used

Indicates that it is used only in a bare number of occasions

nominally required

It is more of a formality than a true necessity

FAQs

What does "barely necessary" mean?

The phrase "barely necessary" means that something is only just needed or required to a minimal degree. It suggests that the item or action is not essential and could potentially be omitted without significant impact.

What can I say instead of "barely necessary"?

You can use alternatives like "hardly essential", "scarcely required", or "minimally needed" depending on the context.

How to use "barely necessary" in a sentence?

Here's an example: "The additional features in the software update are "barely necessary" for the average user." This means that most users won't really need those extra features.

Is "barely necessary" the same as "unnecessary"?

No, "barely necessary" and "unnecessary" are not the same. "Barely necessary" implies a slight need or requirement, while "unnecessary" means there is no need at all. Something that is "unnecessary" is completely optional.