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Necessity synonyms
nə-sĕs'ĭ-tē
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must
A state of frenzy in animals, esp. in the male elephant, usually associated with sexual heat
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  1. A state of frenzy in animals, esp. in the male elephant, usually associated with sexual heat
  2. The unfermented or fermenting juice expressed from fruit, especially grapes.
  3. Something that is absolutely required or indispensable:
need
Necessity or obligation created by some situation
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  1. Necessity or obligation created by some situation
  2. A lack of something useful, required, or desired
  3. A condition or situation in which something must be supplied in order for a certain condition to be maintained or a desired state to be achieved:
compulsion
That which compels; driving force
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  1. That which compels; driving force
  2. (Psychol.) An irresistible, repeated, irrational impulse to perform some act
  3. (Psychiatry) An act or ritual that a person feels compelled to perform repeatedly, often to reduce the distress caused by an obsession.
constraint
Something that constrains
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  1. Something that constrains
  2. (Mathematics) A condition that a solution to an optimization problem must satisfy.
  3. The threat or use of force to prevent, restrict, or dictate the action or thought of others.
pressure
A compelling or constraining influence, such as persuasion or negative attitudes, on the mind or will:
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  1. A compelling or constraining influence, such as persuasion or negative attitudes, on the mind or will:
  2. (--- Sports) Sustained, effective play that puts an opponent at a disadvantage:
  3. The condition of being subjected to physical, mental, social, or economic distress:
obligation
The constraining power of a promise, contract, law, or sense of duty:
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  1. The constraining power of a promise, contract, law, or sense of duty:
  2. (Law) An agreement or duty by which one person (the obligor) is legally bound to make payment or perform services for the benefit of another (the obligee)
  3. A binding, formal arrangement or an agreement to a liability to pay a specified amount or to do a certain thing for a person or group of persons. See also duty and liability.
needfulness
The property of being needful or necessary.
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  1. The property of being needful or necessary.
essentiality
The condition of being essential; a basic set of essential traits; being
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  1. The condition of being essential; a basic set of essential traits; being
  2. Essential quality, fact, or thing
indispensability
The characteristic of being indispensable.
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  1. The characteristic of being indispensable.
undeniability
The quality of being undeniable.
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  1. The quality of being undeniable.
requisiteness
The state or quality of being requisite.
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  1. The state or quality of being requisite.
need
A lack of something useful, required, or desired
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  1. A lack of something useful, required, or desired
  2. A condition of poverty or misfortune:
  3. A condition of poverty, or extreme want
want
The state or fact of lacking, or having too little of, something needed or desired; scarcity; shortage; lack
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  1. The state or fact of lacking, or having too little of, something needed or desired; scarcity; shortage; lack
  2. Something desired:
  3. Pressing need; destitution:
requisite
Something requisite
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  1. Something requisite
  2. Something that is indispensable; a requirement:
essential
Something necessary or fundamental; indispensable, inherent, or basic feature or principle
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  1. Something necessary or fundamental; indispensable, inherent, or basic feature or principle
demand
Something demanded:
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  1. Something demanded:
  2. (Econ.) The desire for a commodity together with ability to pay for it; also, the amount people are ready and able to buy at a certain price
  3. An urgent requirement or need:
imperative
A verb form of the imperative mood.
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  1. A verb form of the imperative mood.
  2. A command; an order.
  3. A rule, principle, or need that requires or compels certain action:
fundamental
(Music) The lowest, or root, tone of a chord
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  1. (Music) The lowest, or root, tone of a chord
  2. (Physics) The lowest frequency at which a system, as an air column or stretched string, will freely vibrate
  3. Something that is an essential or necessary part of a system or object.
claim
A demand for something rightfully or allegedly due
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  1. A demand for something rightfully or allegedly due
  2. A statement of something as a fact; an assertion of truth:
  3. A statement, as a fact, of something that may be called into question; assertion
exaction
Excessive or unjust demand; extortion.
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  1. Excessive or unjust demand; extortion.
  2. Something exacted.
  3. An exacting, as of money, time, etc.
desideratum
Something considered necessary or highly desirable.
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  1. Something considered necessary or highly desirable.
exigency
An urgent requirement; a pressing need:
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  1. An urgent requirement; a pressing need:
  2. A pressing or urgent situation:
  3. A situation calling for immediate action or attention
pinch
An amount that can be held between thumb and forefinger:
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  1. An amount that can be held between thumb and forefinger:
  2. An emergency situation:
  3. Difficulty or hardship:
stress
The force per unit area applied to an object. Objects subject to stress tend to become distorted or deformed.
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  1. The force per unit area applied to an object. Objects subject to stress tend to become distorted or deformed.
  2. Mental or emotional tension or strain characterized by feelings of anxiety, fear, etc.
  3. A condition of metabolic or physiologic impairment in an organism, occurring usually in response to adverse events and capable of causing physical damage:
urgency
The quality or condition of being urgent; insistence; pressure; as, the urgency of a demand or an occasion.
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  1. The quality or condition of being urgent; insistence; pressure; as, the urgency of a demand or an occasion.
  2. The quality or condition of being urgent; pressing importance:
  3. The quality or state of being urgent; need for action, haste, etc.; stress or pressure, as of necessity
extremity
An extreme measure; severe or strong action
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  1. An extreme measure; severe or strong action
  2. The outermost or farthest point or portion:
  3. The greatest or utmost degree:
destitution
The state of being destitute; esp., abject poverty
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  1. The state of being destitute; esp., abject poverty
  2. A deprivation or lack; a deficiency.
  3. Extreme want of resources or the means of subsistence; complete poverty.
privation
A depriving or being deprived; deprivation; specif., the loss or absence of some quality or condition
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  1. A depriving or being deprived; deprivation; specif., the loss or absence of some quality or condition
  2. Lack of the ordinary necessities of life
  3. The condition of being without a specified quality or attribute:
obligation
The constraining power of a promise, contract, law, or sense of duty:
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  1. The constraining power of a promise, contract, law, or sense of duty:
  2. A social, legal, or moral requirement, such as a duty, contract, or promise, that compels one to follow or avoid a particular course of action:
  3. The state, fact, or feeling of being indebted to another for a special service or favor received:
inexorableness
The quality of being inexorable.
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  1. The quality of being inexorable.
inescapableness
The quality of being inescapable.
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  1. The quality of being inescapable.
call
In property law, an identifiable natural landmark that serves to delineate the boundary of land. See also metes and bounds.
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  1. In property law, an identifiable natural landmark that serves to delineate the boundary of land. See also metes and bounds.
  2. A sound or an instrument made to imitate such a cry, used as a lure:
  3. The strong attraction or appeal of a given activity or environment:
cause
A person or thing acting voluntarily or involuntarily as the agent that brings about an effect or result
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  1. A person or thing acting voluntarily or involuntarily as the agent that brings about an effect or result
  2. A basis for an action or response; a reason:
  3. A reason, motive, or ground for some action, feeling, etc.; esp., sufficient reason
ground
An area or a position that is contested in or as if in battle:
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  1. An area or a position that is contested in or as if in battle:
  2. The set of shared points in an electrical circuit at which the measured voltage is taken to be zero. The ground is usually connected directly to the power supply and acts as a common “sink” for current flowing through the components in the circuit.
  3. The logical basis of a conclusion, action, etc.; valid reason, motive, or cause
justification
Something, such as a fact or circumstance, that justifies:
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  1. Something, such as a fact or circumstance, that justifies:
  2. A reason, explanation, or excuse which provides convincing, morally acceptable support for behavior or for a belief or occurrence.
  3. A showing of an appropriate reason for one’s actions. A showing of an appropriate reason for one’s actions.
occasion
A favorable or appropriate time or juncture:
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  1. A favorable or appropriate time or juncture:
  2. A fact, event, or state of affairs that makes something else possible
  3. A cause or reason
reason
The ability to think, form judgments, draw conclusions, etc.
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  1. The ability to think, form judgments, draw conclusions, etc.
  2. A cause or motive
  3. A fact or cause that explains why something exists or has occurred:
wherefore
A purpose or cause:
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  1. A purpose or cause:
  2. The reason; cause
why
The reason, cause, motive, purpose, etc.
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  1. The reason, cause, motive, purpose, etc.
  2. A difficult problem or question.
  3. The cause or intention underlying a given action or situation:
condition
Anything essential to the existence or occurrence of something else; prerequisite
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  1. Anything essential to the existence or occurrence of something else; prerequisite
  2. A state of physical fitness:
  3. A future and uncertain event, fact, or circumstance whose existence or occurrence is necessary for the existence or determining the extent of an obligation or liability. See also estate and fee simple.
essential
Something necessary or fundamental; indispensable, inherent, or basic feature or principle
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  1. Something necessary or fundamental; indispensable, inherent, or basic feature or principle
must
The unfermented or fermenting juice expressed from fruit, especially grapes.
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  1. The unfermented or fermenting juice expressed from fruit, especially grapes.
  2. A state of frenzy in animals, esp. in the male elephant, usually associated with sexual heat
  3. Something that is absolutely required or indispensable:
need
Necessity or obligation created by some situation
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  1. Necessity or obligation created by some situation
  2. A lack of something useful, required, or desired
  3. A condition or situation in which something must be supplied in order for a certain condition to be maintained or a desired state to be achieved:
precondition
A requirement which must be satisfied before taking a course of action.
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  1. A requirement which must be satisfied before taking a course of action.
  2. A condition that must exist or be established before something can occur or be considered; a prerequisite.
prerequisite
Something that is prerequisite, as a course that is required prior to taking an advanced course.
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  1. Something that is prerequisite, as a course that is required prior to taking an advanced course.
  2. In education, a course or topic that must be completed before another course or topic can be started. May be colloquially referred to as a prereq.
  3. Something that must be gained in order to gain something else
requirement
Something obligatory; a prerequisite.
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  1. Something obligatory; a prerequisite.
  2. Something required; something obligatory or demanded, as a condition
  3. Something needed; necessity; need
requisite
Something requisite
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  1. Something requisite
  2. Something that is indispensable; a requirement:
sine qua non
An essential element or condition:
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  1. An essential element or condition:
  2. An essential condition, qualification, etc.; indispensable thing; absolute prerequisite
  3. Without which not. Something that is indispensable and upon which something else relies. Without which not. Something that is indispensable and upon which something else relies.
exigency
A pressing or urgent situation:
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  1. A pressing or urgent situation:
  2. A situation calling for immediate action or attention
  3. An urgent requirement; a pressing need:
need
Necessity or obligation created by some situation
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  1. Necessity or obligation created by some situation
  2. A lack of something useful, required, or desired
  3. A condition or situation in which something must be supplied in order for a certain condition to be maintained or a desired state to be achieved:
Find another word for necessity. In this page you can discover 66 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for necessity, like: must, exigence, need, compulsion, constraint, pressure, obligation, needfulness, essentiality, indispensability and undeniability.

Sentence Examples

  • Now, I'm sure you see the necessity of doing exactly what I say.

  • To her, a telephone was a necessity, not a convenience.

  • She seemed to promise to explain that necessity to him when he came on Tuesday.

  • He must not sit in a mosque, except under necessity, but in some open, accessible place.

  • The necessity of laws and penalties had to be explained to her.

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Words that mention necessity in the Dictionary

Words near necessity in the Thesaurus