Standard Lemma guide

necessitarian

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /nɪˌsɛsəˈtɛəɹi.ən/
  • General-American: /nɪˌsɛsəˈtɛɹi.ən/
  • rhymes with -ɛəɹiən

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or pertaining to necessity or necessitarianism: opposed to libertarian. The Arminian has entangled the Calvinist, the Calvinist has entangled the Arminian, in a labyrinth of contradictions. The advocate of free-will appeals to conscience and instinct — to an a priori sense of what ought in equity to be. The necessitarian falls back upon the experienced reality of facts. Froude, Calvinism. (The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

necessarian

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

One who maintains the doctrine of philosophical necessity, in opposition to that of freedom of the will: opposed to libertarian. (The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

someone who does not believe the doctrine of free will

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: libertarian

Broader terms: philosopher

Narrower terms: Calvinist, Genevan, fatalist, determinist, predestinarian, predestinationist

History

Etymology

From necessity + -arian.