far from necessary

USAGE SUMMARY

"far from necessary" is a perfectly correct and usable phrase in written English.
You could use it to emphasize that something is in no way necessary, such as in the sentence, "Voting on every issue in the city council is far from necessary."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

But so lovely is this creation in its lean, spare guise that this addition is far from necessary.

The New York Times - Food

It's far from necessary for a busy and successful man to extend a similar attention and warmth to the young people he works with, but Deford was also that way.

The New Yorker

I've known him since 2006, and it's far from necessary.

TechCrunch

A sufficient but still far from necessary condition is that the difference between types be technologically neutral, in the sense that for any q, the isoquants associated with that q for the two types be parallel to each other.

Agricultural and Food Economics

Because the sufficient condition in Lemma 2 is far from necessary for the property we need, we will hold the condition in reserve for the moment and, in Propositions 4 and 6 below, simply assume that ({Delta ^{overline {HL}}}(cdot) > 0).

Agricultural and Food Economics

Judicial review is far from necessary.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

But that is a far cry from "necessary and sufficient" for reproduction.

The New York Times

However, the results of our paper show that those results were only some sufficient conditions for uniform non-squareness which were very far from being necessary and sufficient.

Journal of Inequalities and Applications

Far from being the necessary backdrop to the current UK recovery, Osborne's austerity programme was a catastrophic economic mistake, although so far our increasingly smug chancellor seems to have got away with it politically.

The Guardian - Business

Finally, show that we can have happy and meaningful lives without worshiping a deity, and that religion, far from being a necessary prop for morality, actually produces more evil than good.

The New York Times - Books

It is both far from the 500,000 necessary to break even and totally out of step with the growth of the iPad (and the iPhone, and the Android) installed base.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "far from necessary" to politely suggest that an action or item is superfluous, without directly criticizing its existence. This is particularly useful in professional or academic settings where tact is valued.

Common error

Avoid using "far from necessary" when something is absolutely forbidden or detrimental. The phrase implies a lack of necessity, not a prohibition. Choose stronger wording if the situation warrants it.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "far from necessary" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun or pronoun to indicate that something is not required or essential. As Ludwig AI shows, it is used to express the lack of need in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

41%

Science

41%

Formal & Business

9%

Less common in

Wiki

9%

Social Media

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "far from necessary" is a grammatically sound phrase used to convey that something is not required or essential. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage in diverse contexts, ranging from news and media to scientific and formal business settings. While not exceedingly common, the phrase offers a subtle and often polite way to suggest superfluity. Remember that it's most suitable when implying a lack of need rather than an outright prohibition, and that simpler alternatives like ""unnecessary"" or ""not required"" may be more appropriate in less formal scenarios.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not at all necessary

Emphasizes the lack of necessity more strongly than the original phrase.

entirely unnecessary

Highlights the complete absence of need for something.

not required

A more straightforward and less emphatic way of saying something is not needed.

dispensable

Indicates that something can be done without or discarded.

unessential

A direct synonym, but less commonly used.

not compulsory

Specifically implies that something is not legally or officially required.

optional

Suggests that something is a choice, not a requirement.

purely voluntary

Emphasizes the freedom of choice regarding something.

of no necessity

A more formal and slightly archaic way of expressing the idea.

in no way obligatory

Highlights the absence of any obligation or duty.

FAQs

How can I use "far from necessary" in a sentence?

You can use "far from necessary" to indicate that something is not required or essential in a particular context. For example, "Elaborate explanations are "far from necessary" when the audience is already familiar with the topic."

What's a simpler way to say "far from necessary"?

Alternatives include "not required", "unnecessary", or "optional" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "far from necessary" the same as "unnecessary"?

While similar, "far from necessary" often carries a slightly more emphatic or polite tone than simply saying something is "unnecessary". It can also imply that something might even be hindering or unwanted.

When is it best to use "far from necessary" over other similar phrases?

Use "far from necessary" when you want to subtly suggest that something isn't needed without being overly critical or direct. It's particularly useful in formal or professional communication.