necessary

[ nes-uh-ser-ee ]

/ ˈnɛs əˌsɛr i /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: necessary / necessaries on Thesaurus.com

adjective

being essential, indispensable, or requisite: a necessary part of the motor.

happening or existing by necessity: a necessary change in our plans.

acting or proceeding from compulsion or necessity; not free; involuntary: a necessary agent.

Logic.

(of a proposition) such that a denial of it involves a self-contradiction.
(of an inference or argument) such that its conclusion cannot be false if its supporting premises are true.
(of a condition) such that it must exist if a given event is to occur or a given thing is to exist.Compare sufficient (def. 2).

noun, plural nec·es·sar·ies.

something necessary or required for a particular purpose; necessity.

necessaries, Law. food, clothing, etc., required by a dependent or incompetent and varying with his or her social or economic position or that of the person upon whom he or she is dependent.

Chiefly New England. a privy or toilet.

OTHER WORDS FOR necessary

1 required, needed.

5 requirement, requisite, essential.

See synonyms for necessary on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR necessary

1 dispensable.

See antonyms for necessary on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of necessary

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English necessarie, from Latin necessārius “unavoidable, inevitable, needful,” equivalent to necess(e) (neuter indeclinable adjective) “unavoidable, necessary” + -ārius -ary

synonym study for necessary

1. Necessary, essential, indispensable, requisite indicate something vital for the fulfillment of a need. Necessary applies to something without which a condition cannot be fulfilled or to an inevitable consequence of certain events, conditions, etc.: Food is necessary to life. Multiplicity is a necessary result of division. Indispensable applies to something that cannot be done without or removed from the rest of a unitary condition: Food is indispensable to living things. He made himself indispensable as a companion. Something that is essential forms a vitally necessary condition of something: Air is essential to red-blooded animals. It is essential to understand the matter clearly. Requisite applies to what is thought necessary to fill out, complete, or perfect something: She had all the requisite qualifications for a position.

OTHER WORDS FROM necessary

nec·es·sar·i·ness, nounqua·si-nec·es·sar·y, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH necessary

necessary , necessitous

Words nearby necessary

nebulous, n.e.c., necessarian, necessaries, necessarily, necessary, necessary condition, necessary stool, necessitarian, necessitarianism, necessitate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use necessary in a sentence

Center Nicklas Backstrom said the Capitals have grown passive when playing with a lead when aggressiveness is necessary.
For first time in three weeks, Capitals could be at full strength Sunday|Samantha Pell|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
“Federal funding — together with the region’s commitment — will support the major maintenance and capital rehabilitation activities that are necessary to restore and improve the aging transit system,” the letter said.
Metro seeks bond sales to raise $360 million for capital projects|Justin George|February 10, 2021|Washington Post
The audit also found that the agency does not keep track of who owes money or how much they owe, and it isn’t taking necessary steps to collect it.
Utility Companies Owe Millions to This State Regulatory Agency. The Problem? The Agency Can’t Track What It’s Owed.|by Scott Morris, Bay City News Foundation|February 10, 2021|ProPublica
While 84 percent of registered Republicans supported the recall, increased support among Democrats and independents will be necessary for Newsom to lose.
California’s Gavin Newsom Will Likely Face A Recall Election — But He’ll Probably Survive It|Geoffrey Skelley (geoffrey.skelley@abc.com)|February 10, 2021|FiveThirtyEight

They’ve noted, too, that they would pursue a vote to bar him from federal office if he was convicted by the necessary 67 members of the Senate.
The 5 Senate Republicans to watch on impeachment|Li Zhou|February 9, 2021|Vox
He could order the Justice Department to begin the necessary regulatory work.
Obama’s Pot Policy Is Refer Madness|James Poulos|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yet, what my peers do not realize – or cannot handle – is that rejection is a necessary part of forging a romantic relationships.
Random Hook-Ups or Dry Spells: Why Millennials Flunk College Dating|Ellie Schaack|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But as is her way, Kaling defended why the episode was not only funny, but necessary.
Year of the Butt: How the Booty Changed the World in 2014|Kevin Fallon|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Unfortunately, the underground tunnels that were used to transport booze and, if necessary, escaping patrons, are off-limits.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
However, we have just had a necessary wake-up call that all is not as secure as we believed.
A Gift to the Jihadis: The Unseen Airport Security Threat|Clive Irving|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In sorting notes it is necessary to be able readily to distinguish between notes of this bank and notes of other reserve banks.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
As long as may be necessary, Sam,” replied Mr. Pickwick, “you have my full permission to remain.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
But it was necessary to take Silan, which the rebels hastened to strengthen, closely followed up by the Spaniards.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
For this use of the voice in the special service of will-power, or propelling force, it is necessary first to test its freedom.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
It is only necessary to have a zinc, or a galvanized tray on which to stand the glass in an inverted position.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin

British Dictionary definitions for necessary

necessary

/ (ˈnɛsɪsərɪ) /

adjective

needed to achieve a certain desired effect or result; required

resulting from necessity; inevitablethe necessary consequences of your action

logic

(of a statement, formula, etc) true under all interpretations or in all possible circumstances
(of a proposition) determined to be true by its meaning, so that its denial would be self-contradictory
(of a property) essential, so that without it its subject would not be the entity it is
(of an inference) always yielding a true conclusion when its premises are true; valid
(of a condition) entailed by the truth of some statement or the obtaining of some state of affairsCompare sufficient (def. 2)

philosophy (in a nonlogical sense) expressing a law of nature, so that if it is in this sense necessary that all As are B, even although it is not contradictory to conceive of an A which is not B, we are licensed to infer that if something were an A it would have to be B

rare compelled, as by necessity or law; not free

noun

the necessary informal the money required for a particular purpose

do the necessary informal to do something that is necessary in a particular situation

Word Origin for necessary

C14: from Latin necessārius indispensable, from necesse unavoidable

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

necessary

OTHER WORDS FOR necessary

OPPOSITES FOR necessary

Origin of necessary

synonym study for necessary

OTHER WORDS FROM necessary

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH necessary

Words nearby necessary

Words related to necessary

How to use necessary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for necessary

Word Origin for necessary