necessity

American  

[nuh-ses-i-tee] / nəˈsɛs ɪ ti /

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.

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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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Related Words

See need.

Other Word Forms

• nonnecessity noun
• supernecessity noun

Etymology

Origin of necessity

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

Example Sentences

She said she has to walk kilometres away from her house to get an internet connection and basic necessities, like clean water.

From BBC

While he did not see qualification as a necessity in 2024-25, it certainly is this season, with his future as manager to be reviewed at the end of this campaign.

From BBC

After her divorce, she said she relied on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, which provided cash assistance for necessities until she started receiving child support.

From Salon

With a pot of glue, a blade and a keen eye, Manal al-Saadani repairs tattered banknotes -- a necessity in the Gaza Strip, where the cash in circulation is wearing out.

From Barron's

Higher-income Americans are driving much of the gains, as lower-income shoppers seek bargains and are more likely to spend more on necessities.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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