Necessity — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ni-ˈse-sə-tē/ ne·ces·si·ty

Meaning & Definition of Necessity

Necessity (noun)

  1. the quality or state of being necessary
  2. pressure of circumstance
  3. physical or moral compulsion

Necessity (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable

    "on any road trip, accurate maps are a necessity"

    similar: condition, demand, essential, must, must-have, necessary, need, needful, requirement, requisite, sine qua non
    related: precondition, prerequisite, advantage, edge, plus, desideration, desideratum, wish
    opposite: nonessential, nonnecessity
    near: amenity, comfort, extra, extravagance, frill, indulgence, luxury, superfluity, surplus, surplusage

  2. the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions

    "two years of unemployment had reduced the family to abject necessity"

    similar: beggary, destituteness, destitution, impecuniosity, impecuniousness, impoverishment, indigence, need, neediness, pauperism, penuriousness, penury, poorness, poverty, want
    related: gutter, misery, woe, wretchedness, exigency, emergency, rainy day, austerity, deprivation, privation, bankruptcy, insolvency, belt-tightening, pinching, straitening
    opposite: affluence, opulence, richness, wealth, wealthiness
    near: luxury, prosperity

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Necessity

The most common words with a similar meaning to Necessity:

condition, demand, essential, must, must-have, necessary, need, needful, requirement, requisite, sine qua non, beggary, destituteness, destitution, impecuniosity, impecuniousness, impoverishment, indigence, neediness, pauperism, penuriousness, penury, poorness, poverty, want

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Necessity

Words with the opposite meaning of Necessity:

nonessential, nonnecessity, affluence, opulence, richness, wealth, wealthiness

Related Words for Necessity

precondition, prerequisite, advantage, edge, plus, desideration, desideratum, wish, gutter, misery, woe, wretchedness, exigency, emergency, rainy day, austerity, deprivation, privation, bankruptcy, insolvency, belt-tightening, pinching, straitening

Near Antonyms of Necessity

amenity, comfort, extra, extravagance, frill, indulgence, luxury, superfluity, surplus, surplusage, prosperity

Word Forms of Necessity

Inflections: necessities

Origin & Etymology of Necessity

Middle English necessite, from Anglo-French necessité, from Latin necessitat-, necessitas, from necesse

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Necessity

Words & Phrases Containing Necessity

necessity is the mother of invention, necessity of life, make a virtue of necessity, of necessity, born of necessity, by necessity, out of necessity

Frequently Asked Questions about Necessity

What does "Necessity" mean?

"Necessity" means the quality or state of being necessary. As a noun, it is defined as: the quality or state of being necessary. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Necessity"?

Other words for "Necessity" include condition, demand, essential, must, must-have, necessary, need and needful. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Necessity" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Necessity"?

There are 48 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Necessity". Common alternatives include condition, demand, essential, must, must-have, necessary, need, needful, requirement and requisite.

What is the opposite of "Necessity"?

Antonyms of "Necessity" include nonessential, nonnecessity, affluence, opulence, richness, wealth and wealthiness. Near antonyms include amenity, comfort, extra and extravagance.

How do you use "Necessity" in a sentence?

Examples of "Necessity" in a sentence: "on any road trip, accurate maps are a necessity"; "two years of unemployment had reduced the family to abject necessity".

Is "Necessity" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Necessity" is a noun.

Is "Necessity" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Necessity" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Necessity"?

"Necessity" is pronounced /ni-ˈse-sə-tē/ and divided into syllables as ne·ces·si·ty.