Nonnecessity

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state of lacking any requirement or essentiality for an action or object
2. The quality of something that is not essential and can be omitted without consequence
3. A condition where no necessity or obligation exists for a particular item or action

Etymology: "Nonnecessity" is a plain compound: the Latin-derived prefix "non-", meaning "not," attached to "necessity," which traces back through Old French "necessite" to Latin "necessitas," from "necesse," meaning "unavoidable." Its sense is simply the reverse of necessity: where necessity names what must be done or cannot be avoided, nonnecessity names the quality of being optional, something that could be dropped without any real loss. Because the formation is so transparent, the word is best understood by taking its parts at face value. The prefix "non-" is productive in English and can be attached to nearly any noun to create its opposite or absence, so "nonnecessity" follows the same pattern as words like "nonexistence" or "nonpayment." The result is a term that gives a name to a category of things that might otherwise be described in longer phrases.

Synonyms: luxury, extravagance

Antonyms: necessity, essential