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Another word for need

a-z
Noun

  1. A condition in which something necessary or desirable is required or wanted

    See also:

    necessary

  2. Something indispensable

    See also:

    necessary

  3. Something asked for or needed

    See also:

    over

    necessary

  4. An act or course of action that is demanded of one, as by position, custom, law, or religion

      1. The state, quality, or fact of being responsible.
      2. Something for which one is responsible; a duty, obligation, or burden.
      1. 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:
      2. The constraining power of a promise, contract, law, or sense of duty:
      3. A document in which a person binds himself or herself to undertake or refrain from doing a particular act.
      1. To be obliged or required by morality, law, or custom:
      2. To be compelled, as by a physical necessity or requirement:
      3. Used to express a command or admonition:
      1. Necessary or urgent:
      2. Expressing a command or plea; peremptory:
      3. Of, relating to, or constituting the mood that expresses a command or request.
      1. An act or a course of action that is required of one by position, social custom, law, or religion:
      2. Required action or service:
      3. Active military service:
      1. The act of referring a legislative bill to committee.
      2. Official consignment, as to a prison or mental health facility.
      3. A court order authorizing consignment to a prison.
      1. To impose a duty, responsibility, or obligation on:
      2. To instruct or urge authoritatively; command:
      3. To instruct (a jury) about the law, its application, and the weighing of evidence.
      1. Something that is carried.
      2. Something that is emotionally difficult to bear.
      3. A source of great worry or stress; weight:
    See also:

    obligation

  5. The condition of being extremely poor

    See also:

    rich

Verb

  1. To be required or compelled to do

      1. To be obliged or required by morality, law, or custom:
      2. To be compelled, as by a physical necessity or requirement:
      3. Used to express a command or admonition:
    Idioms:
    See also:

    necessary

  2. To be without what is needed, required, or essential

      1. To have a strong feeling to have (something); wish (to possess or do something); desire greatly:
      2. To desire (someone to do something):
      3. To request the presence or assistance of:
      1. To have as a requisite or necessity; need or depend on:
      2. To stipulate as obligatory by authority:
      3. To demand as obligatory or appropriate:
      1. Deficiency or absence:
      2. A particular deficiency or absence:
      3. To be without or in need of:
    See also:

    owned

© Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Another word for need

Noun

  1. Poverty

    See also:

    poverty

  2. Lack

    See also:

    lack

  3. A requirement

    See also:

    requirement

    necessity

Verb
  1. See also:

    want

    Antonyms:

  2. Require

    See also:

    lack

    need to

    must

Idioms:

    have need to

    2. if-need-be

Synonym Study

  • Requisite applies to something that is indispensable to a particular end or purpose a sense of rhythm is a requisite in a dancer
  • Exigency refers to a necessity created by some emergency, crisis, or compelling circumstances the exigencies created by the flood
  • Necessity , a more formal word, suggests an imperative need for something indispensable but lacks the emotional connotations of needthey are in need of food, food is a necessity for all living things
  • Need refers to a pressing requirement of something essential or desirable that is lacking
© WEBSTER’S NEW WORLD® ROGET’S A-Z THESAURUS by Charlton Laird and the editors of Webster’s New World dictionaries. Copyright © 1999 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Sentence Examples

  • He did not need anything of that kind.

  • There was no need to rush.

  • You will need a sitter for the party anyway.

  • Still, a person didn't need to say it to feel it.

  • I am sorry, for I need you.

More sentences →

Words near need in the Thesaurus