necessitate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to make necessary or unavoidable.
The breakdown of the car necessitated a change in our plans.
-
to compel, oblige, or force.
The new wage demand will necessitate a price increase.
verb
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to cause as an unavoidable and necessary result
-
(usually passive) to compel or require (someone to do something)
Other Word Forms
- necessitation noun
- necessitative adjective
- prenecessitate verb (used with object)
- unnecessitated adjective
- unnecessitating adjective
Etymology
Origin of necessitate
1620–30; < Medieval Latin necessitātus, past participle of necessitāre to compel, constrain. See necessity, -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s a divide with roots in the turbulent Belfast of their youth, which necessitated starting their family in Glasgow.
From Los Angeles Times
Much like ballet, kabuki necessitates precise choreographed actions: Not only does “Kokuho” provide generous samples of different kabuki pieces but also includes captions that list the title of the individual works and a brief synopsis.
From Los Angeles Times
Gen Z and younger Millennials discovered “Top Model” during the pandemic, necessitating a reconsideration of the reality competition post-#MeToo and in the wake of the body positivity movement.
From Salon
The fabric must be able to stretch in all directions, which necessitates a four-way stretch fabric.
From Los Angeles Times
The rise of drones, however, necessitates the development of anti-drone technology as well.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
