Necessity is the mother of invention.
Source: tatoeba (19549)
Necessity
//nɪˈsɛsəti//
Synonyms for "necessity" (140 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (28)
Strong matches (42)
Related words (70)
inevitablenessinexorabilityinfallibilisminfallibilityinflexibilityirresistibilityirrevocabilitykeystonelacklawmendicancymoneylessnessmustmust itemnecessariesnecessitiesnecessitousnessneed forneedfulnessneediness
Show 45 more words
nonambiguitynoncontingencyobligationobligementoccasionpauperismpauperizationpenurypinchpositivenesspovertypredestinationpredeterminationpreordinationprerequirementprerequisiteprescienceprivationprobatumproved factrelentlessnessrequirementrequisiterequisitenessrequisitionrestraintsine qua nonsurenesssuretythe necessarythe needfultruthunambiguityunavoidable casualtyunavoidablenessuncontrollabilityundeflectabilityunequivocalnessunivocityunmistakablenessunpreventabilityunyieldingnessurgencyvis majorwant
Noun(5 words)
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
3 entriesAntonyms
2 entriesSynonyms
2 entriesRelated terms
7 entriescapable of
1 entriescauses desire
2 entriesderived
17 entriesbare necessitiesdaily necessitiesdoctrine of necessitydoctrine of philosophical necessitymake a virtue of necessitymoney of necessitynecessitariannecessitiednecessitousnecessity is the mother of innovationnecessity is the mother of inventionnecessity knows no lawnecessity moneyneedcessitynonnecessityunnecessity
Showing 16 of 17 words.
etymologically related_to
1 entrieshas context
1 entriesis a
2 entriesrelated to
14 entriesTranslations
202 translations across 75 languages.
Albanian
2 entries- mbëhi noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- nevojë noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Ancient Greek
1 entries- ἀνάγκη noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Arabic
2 entries- حَاجَة noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- ضَرُورَة noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Armenian
2 entries- անհրաժեշտություն noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- կարիք noun (condition of being needy or necessitous)
Asturian
1 entries- necesidá noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Azerbaijani
2 entries- ehtiyac noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- zərurət noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Bashkir
2 entries- ихтыяж noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- кәрәклек noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Belarusian
4 entries- кане́чнасць noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- неабхо́днасць noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- нужа́ noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- нужда́ noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Bengali
1 entries- জরুরৎ noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Bulgarian
4 entries- необходи́мост noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- ну́жда noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- нужда noun (condition of being needy or necessitous)
- потре́бност noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Burmese
1 entries- လိုအပ်ခြင်း noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Catalan
1 entries- necessitat noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Central Kurdish
3 entries- پێویست noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- پێویست noun (that which is necessary)
- پێویستی noun (condition of being needy or necessitous)
Chinese Mandarin
4 entries- 必要 noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- 必要性 noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- 必需品 noun (that which is necessary)
- 要求 noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Church Slavic
2 entries- ноужда noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- нужда noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Chuvash
1 entries- кирлӗлӗх noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Czech
4 entries- nezbytnost noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- nezbytnost noun (that which is necessary)
- nouze noun (condition of being needy or necessitous)
- nutnost noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Danish
3 entries- behov noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- fornødenhed noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- nødvendighed noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Dutch
1 entries- behoefte noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Esperanto
3 entries- necesaĵo noun (that which is necessary)
- neceseco noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- neceso noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Estonian
1 entries- vajalikkus noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Finnish
4 entries- kohtalo noun (that which makes an act or an event unavoidable)
- korvaamattomuus noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- pakko noun (negation of freedom in voluntary action)
- puute noun (condition of being needy or necessitous)
French
2 entries- besoin noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- nécessité noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Galician
1 entries- necesidade noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Georgian
2 entries- აუცილებლობა noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- საჭიროება noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
German
4 entries- Bedarf noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- Bedürfnis noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- Bedürftigkeit noun (condition of being needy or necessitous)
- Nezessität noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Greek
2 entries- ανάγκη noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- αναγκαιότητα noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Hebrew
1 entries- צורך \ צֹרֶךְ noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Hindi
2 entries- आवश्यकता noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- ज़रूरत noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Hungarian
3 entries- muszáj noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- szükség noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- szükségesség noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Icelandic
1 entries- þörf noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Indonesian
2 entries- kebutuhan noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- keperluan noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Interlingua
1 entries- besonio noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Irish
1 entries- riachtanas noun (that which is necessary)
Italian
2 entries- bisogno noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- necessità noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Japanese
4 entries- ニーズ noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- 必然性 noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- 必要 noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- 必要性 noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Kazakh
1 entries- қажеттілік noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Korean
3 entries- 요구 noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- 필요 noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- 필요성 noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Kyrgyz
3 entries- зарылдык noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- зарылчылык noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- муктаждык noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Latin
2 entries- necessaria noun (that which is necessary)
- necessitās noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Latvian
2 entries- vajadzība noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- vajadzība noun (that which is necessary)
Lithuanian
1 entries- poreikis noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Macedonian
4 entries- неопходност noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- нужда noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- нужда noun (condition of being needy or necessitous)
- нужда noun (that which is necessary)
Malay
2 entries- hajat noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- keperluan noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Malayalam
1 entries- ആവശ്യം noun (that which is necessary)
Nepali
1 entries- आवश्यकता noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Northern Kurdish
2 entries- ihtiyac noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- pêwîst noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Norwegian Bokmål
2 entries- behov noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- nødvendighet noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Old East Slavic
1 entries- нужа noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Pashto
4 entries- احتياج noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- حاجت noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- ضرورت noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- لزوم noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Persian
3 entries- احتیاج noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- ضرورت noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- نیاز noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Plautdietsch
1 entries- Muss noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Polish
3 entries- artykuł pierwszej potrzeby noun (that which is necessary)
- konieczność noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- potrzeba noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Portuguese
3 entries- necessidade noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- necessidade noun (that which is necessary)
- necessidade noun (that which makes an act or an event unavoidable)
Romanian
2 entries- necesitate noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- necesitate noun (that which is necessary)
Russian
4 entries- на́добность noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- необходи́мость noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- нужда́ noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- потре́бность noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Scottish Gaelic
3 entries- feum noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- feum noun (condition of being needy or necessitous)
- èiginn noun (condition of being needy or necessitous)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- neophódnōst noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- nȕžnōst noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- pȍtreba noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- неопхо́дно̄ст noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Slovak
4 entries- nevyhnutnosť noun (that which is necessary)
- nutnosť noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- núdza noun (condition of being needy or necessitous)
- potreba noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Slovene
3 entries- nuja noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- nujnost noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- potreba noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Spanish
2 entries- menester noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- necesidad noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Swahili
1 entries- haja noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Swedish
4 entries- behov noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- nöd noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- nödvändighet noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- nödvändighet noun (that which is necessary)
Tagalog
1 entries- pangangailangan noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Tajik
3 entries- зарурат noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- ниёз noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- эҳтиёҷ noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Tatar
2 entries- ихтыяҗ noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- кирәклек noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Telugu
2 entries- అవసరం noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- అవసరం noun (that which is necessary)
Thai
1 entries- ความต้องการ noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Turkish
4 entries- gereklilik noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- gereklilik noun (that which is necessary)
- ihtiyaç noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- lüzum noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Turkmen
1 entries- zerurlyk noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Ukrainian
4 entries- доконе́чність noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- необхі́дність noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- нужда́ noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- потре́ба noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Urdu
3 entries- احتیاج noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- ضرورت noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- ضرورت noun (that which is necessary)
Uyghur
2 entries- ئېھتىياج noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- زۆرۈرىيەت noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Uzbek
4 entries- ehtiyoj noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- keraklik noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- zarurat noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- zaruriyat noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Vietnamese
2 entries- nhu cầu noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
- sự cần thiết noun (quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite)
Sample sentences
20 total sentences available.
It must, of necessity, be postponed.
Source: tatoeba (42131)
A computer is an absolute necessity now.
Source: tatoeba (54558)
All inventions grow out of necessity.
Source: tatoeba (67382)
Showing 4 of 20 available sentences.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.