necessity

noun

The quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite.

Something necessary; a requisite; something indispensable.

The condition of being needy; desperate need; lack.

Something which makes an act or an event unavoidable; an irresistible force; overruling power.

The negation of freedom in voluntary action; the subjection of all phenomena, whether material or spiritual, to inevitable causation; necessitarianism.

(law, in the plural) Indispensable requirements (of life).

(law) Greater utilitarian good; used in justification of a criminal act.

Roots

nene- · Latin · not cederecess- · Latin · yield, withdraw -itas-ity · Latin · state, quality

Synonyms for necessity

requisiteadj requirementn essentialadj indispensablenessn needv needfulnessn exigencyn indispensableadj prerequisiten desideratumn needinessn

Synonyms & related words for necessity

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of necessity — including requisite, requirement, essential, indispensableness, need, needfulness. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to necessity

Explore words related to necessity — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include necessary, necessitation, essentialness, indispensability, exigence, requisitely, needful, required. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for necessity

Common synonyms for necessity include requisite, requirement, essential, indispensableness, need, needfulness, exigency, indispensable — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does necessity come from?

The word necessity breaks down into 3 roots of Latin origin: ne-, from Latin ne (“not”); cess, from Latin cedere (“yield, withdraw”); and -ity, from Latin -itas (“state, quality”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.