What does "necessity" mean?
The quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite.
Necessity
/nɪˈsɛsəti/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite.
- Grammar: necessity is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: requirement, requisite, absence, absolute certainty.
- Useful contrasts: inessential, nonessential, alternative.
- Usage evidence: Necessity is the mother of invention.
How to use "necessity"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "necessity" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "necessity" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "necessity" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "necessity" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "necessity" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "requirement" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "necessity", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite. countable, uncountable
"I bought a new table out of necessity. My old one was ruined."
- 2 anything indispensable wordnet
- 3 The condition of being needy; desperate need; lack. countable, uncountable
"For it is in vain for a man to think to seek God in his necessity and exigence, if he seek not God in his ordinances, and do not joy in them."
- 4 the condition of being essential or indispensable wordnet
- 5 Something necessary; a requisite; something indispensable. countable, uncountable
"A tent is a necessity if you plan on camping."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Something which makes an act or an event unavoidable; an irresistible force; overruling power. countable, uncountable
"After eating a full meal, the human body's necessity for food will compel the person to eat again in the future."
- 7 The negation of freedom in voluntary action; the subjection of all phenomena, whether material or spiritual, to inevitable causation; necessitarianism. countable, uncountable
- 8 Greater utilitarian good; used in justification of a criminal act. countable, uncountable
"doctrine of necessity"
- 9 Indispensable requirements (of life). countable, in-plural, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Necessity is the mother of invention."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "necessity"?
Common synonyms include: requirement, requisite, absence, absolute certainty, absoluteness, academic importance.
How do you use "necessity" in a sentence?
Necessity is the mother of invention.
How do you pronounce "necessity"?
Pronounced /nɪˈsɛsəti/.
Etymology
From Middle English necessite, from Old French necessite, from Latin necessitās (“unavoidableness, compulsion, exigency, necessity”), from necesse (“unavoidable, inevitable”); see necessary. Doublet of Necessitas.