necessity

American  

[nuh-ses-i-tee] / nəˈsɛs ɪ ti /

noun

• necessities
  plural

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.

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idioms

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

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

necessity British  

/ 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

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necessity More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing necessity

• make a virtue of necessity
• of necessity

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Synonym Usage

See need.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonnecessity
  noun
• supernecessity
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• necessities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of necessity

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

Explanation

A good camping knife is a necessity if you’re going to be hiking in a heavily forested region. A necessity is something that you must have in order to complete a task. When used in the plural, necessities are items required for a situation but nothing extra. You probably only bring the bare necessities to a sleepover — pajamas and a toothbrush. Sometimes a necessity is a thing you must know how to do. Knowing how to balance your checkbook is a financial necessity. In some cases, necessity simply means "need." Do you do your homework out of necessity or because you want to?

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

necessity necessities

The idea that homeownership is somehow a necessity, an essential step to building wealth, is mostly a myth.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

This reflects broad recognition that protecting America’s connected vehicle industry is both a national-security imperative and economic necessity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Yes, you can bike in Los Angeles, as many Angelenos often do out of necessity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Well-placed sources have indicated a measure of surprise from Howe at the club's transfer business so far this summer, though he was aware of the necessity for the club to sell players.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

"I was convinced of its necessity, and I was deeply committed to it."

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

This link between thinking and doing serves a clear function – it motivates us to get the necessities for life.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

Pearl diving often relied on the barest necessities: a noseclip, leather finger covers and a basket to gather oysters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Some have been known to lack basic necessities like air conditioning or running water.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

"If there's an emergency in the city, I know I'll still be able to buy basic necessities, even if the mobile network goes down."

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

“Even before the hurricane, Brother’s Keeper collected donations and distributed food and clothing and other necessities to the folks in our community who needed them most.”

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Related Words

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