wholly unnecessary

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'wholly unnecessary' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that something is unnecessary or unneeded. For example: "The extra costs were wholly unnecessary and could have been avoided."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

All this was wholly unnecessary.

The New York Times

A wholly unnecessary American remake is in pre-production.

The Guardian - Film

The unique artistic design was wholly unnecessary to performance of the utilitarian function.

Harvard University

The release of the tapes was a wholly unnecessary act of self-mortification.

The New Yorker

"We are already on day 16 of a wholly unnecessary shutdown of government".

The New York Times

Boiling lobsters alive, he tells me, is not only unacceptable, it is also wholly unnecessary.

Independent

These wholly unnecessary interactions with police officers are frequently traumatic and degrading.

The New York Times

-- What's so crazy about last night's donnybrook is that it was wholly unnecessary.

The Washington Post

The eventual recovery was welcome, but not caused by the wholly unnecessary austerity that preceded it.

The Guardian - Business

Some of the costs may not be clearly disclosed, and some may be wholly unnecessary.

The New York Times

Adding a "top half" creates a wholly unnecessary gender divide in young children.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "wholly unnecessary" to emphasize that something is completely avoidable or unneeded, particularly when addressing concerns or rebutting arguments.

Common error

While "wholly unnecessary" is a valid phrase, avoid using it too frequently in informal settings where simpler terms like "not needed" or "unnecessary" might be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "wholly unnecessary" functions as an adverb-adjective combination modifying a noun or clause. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage for emphasizing a lack of need or justification, as seen in the provided examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

62%

Academia

18%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "wholly unnecessary" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to emphasize that something is completely unneeded or avoidable. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable nature in English. While versatile, it is most commonly found in news and media, academic writing, and formal business contexts, signaling a neutral to formal tone. When aiming for a less emphatic or more informal tone, consider alternatives like "quite unnecessary" or simply "unnecessary". Be mindful of context to ensure its usage aligns with the intended level of formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

quite unnecessary

Replaces "wholly" with "quite", softening the emphasis slightly.

completely unnecessary

Substitutes "wholly" with "completely", offering a similar level of emphasis.

entirely unnecessary

Replaces "wholly" with "entirely", conveying a similar meaning with a slightly different tone.

absolutely unnecessary

Substitutes "wholly" with "absolutely", which can intensify the feeling of something being unneeded.

utterly unnecessary

Replaces "wholly" with "utterly", increasing the sense of something being superfluous.

totally unnecessary

Uses "totally" in place of "wholly", providing a more informal alternative.

perfectly unnecessary

Substitutes "wholly" with "perfectly", implying there is no need or reason for something.

plainly unnecessary

Replaces "wholly" with "plainly", suggesting the lack of necessity is obvious.

patently unnecessary

Substitutes "wholly" with "patently", conveying that something is clearly not required.

gratuitous

Uses a single word to convey the idea of being unnecessary or uncalled for.

FAQs

How can I use "wholly unnecessary" in a sentence?

You can use "wholly unnecessary" to emphasize that something is completely avoidable or unneeded. For instance, "The additional paperwork was "quite unnecessary" and only caused delays."

What's a more informal way to say "wholly unnecessary"?

In informal contexts, you can use phrases like "not needed", "totally uncalled for", or simply "unnecessary" as alternatives to "wholly unnecessary".

Is there a difference between "unnecessary" and "wholly unnecessary"?

"Wholly unnecessary" emphasizes the complete lack of need or justification for something, while "unnecessary" simply states that something is not required. The former has more impact.

What can I say instead of "wholly unnecessary" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "entirely superfluous", "completely unwarranted", or "patently unnecessary".