necessity

noun

ni-ˈse-sə-tē How to pronounce necessity (audio)
Definition of necessitynext
1
as in requirement
something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable on any road trip, accurate maps are a necessity

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poverty
the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions two years of unemployment had reduced the family to abject necessity

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of necessity If extra debt payments are causing late payments on utility bills, overdrafts or a reliance on credit for groceries and other necessities, the repayment pace may be too aggressive. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 The first two lines in each stanza are about the promise of the season, before giving way to its end, showing the necessity of what came before in order for the next season to begin. — Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026 Working as a one-woman crew out of necessity creates a uniquely streamlined production process, freed from filmmaking constraints, so Loktev can focus on her subjects. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2026 But co-productions have been a necessity for producers like him for quite some time. — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for necessity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for necessity
  1. requirement
  2. poverty
  3. must
  4. misery
Noun
  • Thiel also secured New Zealand citizenship in 2011, receiving a special exemption from the usual residency requirements.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The company said at the time that the facility would test battery performance, quality and durability under requirements specific to the region.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of requirement
Noun
  • Families with household income up to 400% of the federal poverty level qualify, meaning a family of four earning up to $132,000 a year could apply for the 2026–27 school year.
    — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • His supporters point to other parts of his record, including reductions in poverty and efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of poverty
Noun
  • No matter your skin type, hydration is a must, and Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30 is here to quench, replenish, and protect with broad-spectrum SPF 30.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The breakfast buffet is a must to gain the energy to hike the trails through drenching spray later.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of must
Noun
  • Cubs fans generally don’t care about the Sox, so their misery was focused solely on their team’s no-show performance at Petco Park.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The origin story helps contextualize the misery and self-isolation of Cathy’s later years, as the madam of a Salinas whorehouse.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of misery

Browse Nearby Words

necessitous
necessity
neck
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Cite this Entry

“Necessity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/necessity. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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