English dictionary

necessity Meaning & Definition

Q: What is the plural of necessity?

The plural of necessity is necessities.

/nɪˈsɛsəti/

What Does Necessity Mean?

Necessity is used as a noun meaning The quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite. It is also used to mean The condition of being needy; desperate need; lack.

Necessity in Brief

Part of speech	noun
Pronunciation	/nɪˈsɛsəti/
Synonyms	essential, requisite and necessary
Antonyms	inessential, nonessential and impossibility
Plural	necessities

Necessity Definition (Noun)

The quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite.
I bought a new table out of necessity. My old one was ruined.
The condition of being needy; desperate need; lack.
Something necessary; a requisite; something indispensable.
A tent is a necessity if you plan on camping.
Something which makes an act or an event unavoidable; an irresistible force; overruling power.
After eating a full meal, the human body's necessity for food will compel the person to eat again in the future.
The negation of freedom in voluntary action; the subjection of all phenomena, whether material or spiritual, to inevitable causation; necessitarianism. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
Greater utilitarian good; used in justification of a criminal act.
doctrine of necessity
Indispensable requirements (of life).

Synonyms of Necessity

essential requisite necessary requirement necessariness inevitability needfulness certainty

Necessity synonyms and antonyms →

Antonyms of Necessity

inessential nonessential impossibility contingency luxury

Necessity in a Sentence

I bought a new table out of necessity. My old one was ruined.

The report I wrote was of necessity rushed and full of errors.

A tent is a necessity if you plan on camping.

After eating a full meal, the human body's necessity for food will compel the person to eat again in the future.

doctrine of necessity

Word Forms & Grammar

necessity (countable and uncountable, plural necessities)

Words That Rhyme With Necessity

address citychess cityness citypress cityprogress cityress city

Origin of Necessity

From Middle English necessite, from Old French necessite, from Latin necessitās (“unavoidableness, compulsion, exigency, necessity”), from necesse (“unavoidable, inevitable”); see necessary. Doublet of Necessitas.

Questions People Ask About Necessity

What part of speech is necessity?

Necessity is a noun.

What is another word for necessity?

Words with a similar meaning to necessity include essential, requisite and necessary. See the full list of necessity synonyms and antonyms.

What is the opposite of necessity?

Words opposite in meaning to necessity are inessential, nonessential, impossibility and contingency.