necessity

[nuh-ses-i-tee]

noun

plural

necessities 

1. something necessary or indispensable.

   food, shelter, and other necessities of life.

2. the fact of being necessary or indispensable; indispensability.

   the necessity of adequate housing.

3. an imperative requirement or need for something.

   the necessity for a quick decision.

   Synonyms: demand

4. the state or fact of being necessary or inevitable.

   to face the necessity of testifying in court.

5. an unavoidable need or compulsion to do something.

   not by choice but by necessity.

6. a state of being in financial need; poverty.

   a family in dire necessity.

   Synonyms: want, indigence, neediness

7. Philosophy.,  the quality of following inevitably from logical, physical, or moral laws.

necessity

/ nɪˈsɛsɪtɪ /

noun

1. (sometimes plural) something needed for a desired result; prerequisite

   necessities of life

2. a condition or set of circumstances, such as physical laws or social rules, that inevitably requires a certain result

   it is a matter of necessity to wear formal clothes when meeting the Queen

3. the state or quality of being obligatory or unavoidable

4. urgent requirement, as in an emergency or misfortune

   in time of necessity we must all work together

5. poverty or want

6. rare,  compulsion through laws of nature; fate

7. philosophy

   1. a condition, principle, or conclusion that cannot be otherwise

   2. the constraining force of physical determinants on all aspects of life Compare freedom

8. logic

   1. the property of being necessary

   2. a statement asserting that some property is essential or statement is necessarily true

   3. the operator that indicates that the expression it modifies is true in all possible worlds

9. inevitably; necessarily

Other Word Forms

• nonnecessity noun
• supernecessity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of necessity¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English necessite, from Latin necessitās, from necess(e) “needful” + -itās -ity

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. of necessity, as an inevitable result; unavoidably; necessarily.

   Our trip to China must of necessity be postponed for a while.

More idioms and phrases containing necessity

• make a virtue of necessity
• of necessity

Synonym Study

See need.

Example Sentences

I tried AI out of frustration, necessity, and yes also curiosity, but it has since become my favorite “physician,” if you don’t mind using the term loosely.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He describes the permanently larger balance sheet as a technocratic necessity to accommodate commercial banks’ demand for reserve deposits at the Fed—the so-called ample reserves regime introduced after 2008.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Cracks are beginning to show among lower-income consumers, with a weakening labor market and persistent inflation forcing some shoppers to hold off on purchases or prioritize necessities.

Read more on Barron's

When it comes to the necessities, Virginia Beach ranks high with terrific healthcare options, thoughtfully designed transportation – including surreys and trolleys – and more than 200 miles of bikeways and trails.

Read more on MarketWatch

Smith is arguing for the necessity of vigorous criticism and often makes her case.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• essential 
• fundamental 
• obligation 
• precondition 
• prerequisite 
• requirement 
• urgency