noun · 9 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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/nɪˈsɛsəti/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:N AH0 S EH1 S AH0 T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:N AH0 S EH1 S IH0 T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
I bought a new table out of necessity. My old one was ruined.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The condition of being needy; desperate need; lack.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Something necessary; a requisite; something indispensable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
A tent is a necessity if you plan on camping.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Something which makes an act or an event unavoidable; an irresistible force; overruling power.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
After eating a full meal, the human body's necessity for food will compel the person to eat again in the future.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
The negation of freedom in voluntary action; the subjection of all phenomena, whether material or spiritual, to inevitable causation; necessitarianism.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
Greater utilitarian good; used in justification of a criminal act.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: law
Examples
doctrine of necessity
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
Indispensable requirements (of life).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, in-plural, uncountable
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
anything indispensable
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
food and shelter are necessities of life
the essentials of the good life
allow farmers to buy their requirements under favorable conditions
a place where the requisites of water fuel and fodder can be obtained
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: need, demand
Narrower terms: requisiteness, urgency
History
Etymology
From Middle English necessite, from Old French necessite, from Latin necessitās (“unavoidableness, compulsion, exigency, necessity”), from necesse (“unavoidable, inevitable”); see necessary. Doublet of Necessitas.
Across languages
Translations
203 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
nevojë
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Albanian:
mbëhi
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Arabic:
ضَرُورَة
(ḍarūra)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Arabic:
حَاجَة
(ḥāja)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Armenian:
անհրաժեշտություն
(anhražeštutʻyun)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Asturian:
necesidá
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Azerbaijani:
zərurət
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Azerbaijani:
ehtiyac
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Bashkir:
ихтыяж
(ixtıyaj)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Bashkir:
кәрәклек
(kərəklek)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Belarusian:
неабхо́днасць
(njeabxódnascʹ)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Belarusian:
нужда́
(nuždá)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Belarusian:
нужа́
(nužá)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Belarusian:
патрэ́ба
(patréba)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Belarusian:
кане́чнасць
(kanjéčnascʹ)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Belarusian:
патрэ́бнасць
(patrébnascʹ)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Bengali:
জরুরৎ
(jorurot)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Bulgarian:
необходи́мост
(neobhodímost)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Bulgarian:
ну́жда
(núžda)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Bulgarian:
потре́бност
(potrébnost)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Burmese:
လိုအပ်ခြင်း
(luiaphkrang:)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Catalan:
necessitat
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Chinese Mandarin:
必要性
(bìyàoxìng)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Chinese Mandarin:
必要
(bìyào)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Chinese Mandarin:
要求
(yāoqiú)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Chinese Mandarin:
需求
(xūqiú)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Chuvash:
кирлӗлӗх
(kirlĕlĕh)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Czech:
nutnost
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Czech:
nezbytnost
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Danish:
behov
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Danish:
nødvendighed
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Danish:
fornødenhed
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Dutch:
behoefte
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Esperanto:
neceso
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Esperanto:
neceseco
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Estonian:
vajalikkus
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Finnish:
tarpeellisuus
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Finnish:
välttämättömyys
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Finnish:
korvaamattomuus
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Finnish:
tarve
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
French:
nécessité
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
French:
besoin
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Galician:
necesidade
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Georgian:
საჭიროება
(sač̣iroeba)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Georgian:
აუცილებლობა
(aucilebloba)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
German:
Notwendigkeit
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
German:
Nezessität
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
German:
Not
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
German:
Bedürfnis
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
German:
Bedarf
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Greek:
ανάγκη
(anágki)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Greek:
αναγκαιότητα
(anagkaiótita)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Ancient Greek:
ἀνάγκη
(anánkē)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Hebrew:
צורך \ צֹרֶךְ
(tsórekh)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Hindi:
अनिवार्यता
(anivāryatā)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Hindi:
ज़रूरत
(zarūrat)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Hindi:
आवश्यकता
(āvaśyaktā)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Hungarian:
muszáj
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Hungarian:
szükség
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Hungarian:
szükségesség
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Icelandic:
þörf
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Indonesian:
keperluan
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Indonesian:
kebutuhan
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Interlingua:
besonio
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Italian:
necessità
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Italian:
bisogno
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Japanese:
必要性
(hitsuyōsei)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Japanese:
必然性
(hitsuzensei)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Japanese:
必要
(hitsuyō)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Japanese:
要求
(yōkyū)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Japanese:
ニーズ
(nīzu)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Kazakh:
қажеттілік
(qajettılık)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Korean:
필요성
(piryoseong)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Korean:
필요
(piryo)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Korean:
요구
(yogu)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Central Kurdish:
پێویست
(pêwîst)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Northern Kurdish:
pêwîst
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Northern Kurdish:
ihtiyac
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Kyrgyz:
зарылдык
(zarıldık)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Kyrgyz:
зарылчылык
(zarılcılık)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Kyrgyz:
муктаждык
(muktajdık)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Latin:
necessitās
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Latvian:
vajadzība
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Lithuanian:
poreikis
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Macedonian:
нужда
(nužda)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Macedonian:
потреба
(potreba)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Macedonian:
неопходност
(neophodnost)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Malay:
keperluan
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Malay:
hajat
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Nepali:
आवश्यकता
(āwasyakatā)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Norwegian Bokmål:
behov
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Norwegian Bokmål:
nødvendighet
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Church Slavic:
нужда
(nužda)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Church Slavic:
ноужда
(nužda)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Old East Slavic:
нужа
(nuža)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Pashto:
ضرورت
(zarurát)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Pashto:
حاجت
(hāǰát)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Pashto:
نياز
(nyāz)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Pashto:
احتياج
(ehteyãǰ)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Pashto:
لزوم
(lozúm)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Persian:
ضرورت
(zarurat)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Persian:
نیاز
(niyâz)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Persian:
احتیاج
(ehtiyâj)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Plautdietsch:
Muss
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Polish:
potrzeba
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Polish:
konieczność
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Portuguese:
necessidade
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Romanian:
necesitate
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Russian:
необходи́мость
(neobxodímostʹ)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Russian:
нужда́
(nuždá)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Russian:
потре́бность
(potrébnostʹ)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Russian:
на́добность
(nádobnostʹ)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Scottish Gaelic:
feum
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Serbo-Croatian:
ну̏жно̄ст
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Serbo-Croatian:
неопхо́дно̄ст
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Serbo-Croatian:
по̏треба
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Serbo-Croatian:
nȕžnōst
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Serbo-Croatian:
neophódnōst
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Serbo-Croatian:
pȍtreba
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Slovak:
nutnosť
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Slovak:
potreba
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Slovene:
nujnost
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Slovene:
potreba
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Slovene:
nuja
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Spanish:
necesidad
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Spanish:
menester
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Swahili:
haja
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Swedish:
behov
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Swedish:
nöd
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Swedish:
nödvändighet
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Tagalog:
pangangailangan
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Tajik:
зарурат
(zarurat)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Tajik:
ниёз
(niyoz)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Tajik:
эҳтиёҷ
(ehtiyoj)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Tatar:
ихтыяҗ
(ixtıyac)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Tatar:
кирәклек
(kiräklek)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Telugu:
అవసరం
(avasaraṁ)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Thai:
ความต้องการ
(kwaam-dtɔ̂ng-gaan)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Turkish:
gereklilik
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Turkish:
lüzum
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Turkish:
ihtiyaç
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Turkmen:
zerurlyk
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Ukrainian:
необхі́дність
(neobxídnistʹ)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Ukrainian:
нужда́
(nuždá)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Ukrainian:
потре́ба
(potréba)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Ukrainian:
доконе́чність
(dokonéčnistʹ)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Urdu:
ضرورت
(zarūrat)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Urdu:
احتیاج
(ihtiyāj)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Uyghur:
زۆرۈرىيەت
(zörüriyet)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Uyghur:
ئېھتىياج
(ëhtiyaj)
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Uzbek:
keraklik
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Uzbek:
zarurlik
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Uzbek:
zarurat
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Uzbek:
zaruriyat
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Uzbek:
ehtiyoj
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Vietnamese:
sự cần thiết
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Vietnamese:
nhu cầu
— quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite
Armenian:
կարիք
(karikʻ)
— condition of being needy or necessitous
Bulgarian:
нужда
(nužda)
— condition of being needy or necessitous
Czech:
nouze
— condition of being needy or necessitous
Finnish:
tarve
— condition of being needy or necessitous
Finnish:
puute
— condition of being needy or necessitous
Finnish:
puutteenalaisuus
— condition of being needy or necessitous
Finnish:
puutteellisuus
— condition of being needy or necessitous
German:
Bedürftigkeit
— condition of being needy or necessitous
Central Kurdish:
پێویستی
(pêwîstî)
— condition of being needy or necessitous
Macedonian:
нужда
(nužda)
— condition of being needy or necessitous
Scottish Gaelic:
feum
— condition of being needy or necessitous
Scottish Gaelic:
èiginn
— condition of being needy or necessitous
Slovak:
núdza
— condition of being needy or necessitous
Chinese Mandarin:
必需品
(bìxūpǐn)
— that which is necessary
Czech:
nutnost
— that which is necessary
Czech:
nezbytnost
— that which is necessary
Esperanto:
necesaĵo
— that which is necessary
Finnish:
tarve
— that which is necessary
Finnish:
tarvike
— that which is necessary
Finnish:
tarvekalu
— that which is necessary
Finnish:
välttämättömyystarvike
— that which is necessary
German:
Notwendigkeit
— that which is necessary
Irish:
riachtanas
— that which is necessary
Japanese:
必需品
(hitsujuhin)
— that which is necessary
Central Kurdish:
پێویست
(pêwîst)
— that which is necessary
Latin:
necessaria
— that which is necessary
Latvian:
vajadzība
— that which is necessary
Macedonian:
нужда
(nužda)
— that which is necessary
Malayalam:
ആവശ്യം
(āvaśyaṁ)
— that which is necessary
Polish:
artykuł pierwszej potrzeby
— that which is necessary
Portuguese:
necessidade
— that which is necessary
Romanian:
necesitate
— that which is necessary
Slovak:
nevyhnutnosť
— that which is necessary
Swedish:
nödvändighet
— that which is necessary
Telugu:
అవసరం
(avasaraṁ)
— that which is necessary
Turkish:
gereklilik
— that which is necessary
Turkish:
zorunluluk
— that which is necessary
Urdu:
ضرورت
(zarūrat)
— that which is necessary
Finnish:
välttämättömyys
— that which makes an act or an event unavoidable
Finnish:
väistämättömyys
— that which makes an act or an event unavoidable
Finnish:
kohtalo
— that which makes an act or an event unavoidable
Portuguese:
necessidade
— that which makes an act or an event unavoidable
Bulgarian:
принуда
(prinuda)
— negation of freedom in voluntary action
Finnish:
välttämättömyys
— negation of freedom in voluntary action
Finnish:
väistämättömyys
— negation of freedom in voluntary action
Finnish:
pakko
— negation of freedom in voluntary action
