needs

American  

[needz] / nidz /

adverb

1. of necessity; necessarily (usually preceded or followed bymust ).

   It must needs be so.

   It needs must be.

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needs British  

/ niːdz /

adverb

1. (preceded or foll by must) of necessity

   we must needs go

   we will go, if needs must

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plural noun

1. what is required; necessities

   the needs of the third world

   his needs are modest

Etymology

Origin of needs

First recorded before 1000; Middle English nedis, Old English nēdes, originally genitive of nēd need; -s ¹

Example Sentences

Whether driven by survival needs, conflict, or both, this behavior reveals a complex and sometimes brutal side of Neanderthal life.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

Angloma needs time to develop, but general manager Vanja Cernivec has seen her plenty.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

"In the short term, it needs to come into public ownership so that the business can make its own decisions about its future. And that future may well involve new investors or new owners."

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Now, Lowry no longer needs a four-leaf clover in his pocket as he tries to win his first green jacket.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

I was missing the idea of Mom, not the actual human with her thin lips, round cheeks, and dyed blonde hair that needs a touch-up after so many weeks in hiding.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller