Main Entry:

¹must

Pronunciation:

\məs(t), ˈməst\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

present & past all persons must

Etymology:

Middle English moste, from Old English mōste, past indicative & subjunctive of mōtan to be allowed to, have to; akin to Old High German muozan to be allowed to, have to

Date:

before 12th century

verbal auxiliary1 a: be commanded or requested to <you must stop> b: be urged to : ought by all means to <you must read that book>2: be compelled by physical necessity to <one must eat to live> : be required by immediate or future need or purpose to <we must hurry to catch the bus>3 a: be obliged to : be compelled by social considerations to <I must say you're looking well> b: be required by law, custom, or moral conscience to <we must obey the rules> c: be determined to <if you must go at least wait for me> d: be unreasonably or perversely compelled to <why must you argue>4: be logically inferred or supposed to <it must be time>5: be compelled by fate or by natural law to <what must be will be>6: was or were presumably certain to : was or were bound to <if he did it she must have known>7dialect : may, shall —used chiefly in questionsintransitive verbarchaic : to be obliged to go <I must to Coventry — Shakespeare>