Examples of necessary in a Sentence
"I thoroughly understand you," cried Mrs. Norris, " … My dear Sir Thomas, with all my faults I have a warm heart; and, poor as I am, would rather deny myself the necessaries of life than do an ungenerous thing."
—
Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814
I took up the two officers in my hands, put them first into my coat-pockets, and then into every other pocket about me, except my two fobs, and another secret pocket I had no mind should be searched, wherein I had some little necessaries that were of no consequence to any but myself.
—Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels, 1726
a modest income that provided the family with only the necessaries of life
Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814
I took up the two officers in my hands, put them first into my coat-pockets, and then into every other pocket about me, except my two fobs, and another secret pocket I had no mind should be searched, wherein I had some little necessaries that were of no consequence to any but myself.
—Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels, 1726
a modest income that provided the family with only the necessaries of life
Recent Examples on the Web
Corridors and the lobby are open-air, cleverly arranged to ventilate naturally with the wind, meaning no air-con necessary.
—Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2026
To avoid the hassle of scrounging in the cargo hold to access their necessaries and furry companions, when in the rearmost position, special storage bins for hand luggage or pet carriers (all of these accessories presumably Bentley branded) emerge from the floor.
—Brett Berk, Robb Report, 8 July 2025
At George Washington’s Mount Vernon plantation in Virginia there were several such necessaries on the grounds.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025
Among other necessaries will be Israeli control of the Philadelphi corridor separating Gaza from Egypt, to ensure that Hamas can’t resupply itself with weapons.
—Bret Stephens, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for necessary
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Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2026
To avoid the hassle of scrounging in the cargo hold to access their necessaries and furry companions, when in the rearmost position, special storage bins for hand luggage or pet carriers (all of these accessories presumably Bentley branded) emerge from the floor.
—Brett Berk, Robb Report, 8 July 2025
At George Washington’s Mount Vernon plantation in Virginia there were several such necessaries on the grounds.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025
Among other necessaries will be Israeli control of the Philadelphi corridor separating Gaza from Egypt, to ensure that Hamas can’t resupply itself with weapons.
—Bret Stephens, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for necessary
Cite this Entry
“Necessary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/necessary. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
necessary
1 of 2 adjective
nec·es·sary
ˈnes-ə-ˌser-ē 
1
: going to happen with no way of preventing it : inescapable
tests are a necessary part of school
2
: being the only logically possible result
a necessary conclusion
3
: being required : mandatory
it is necessary to attend all practices
4
: absolutely needed : essential
food is necessary for life
necessarily
adverb
ˌnes-ə-ˈser-ə-lē
necessary
2 of 2 noun
plural necessaries
: something necessary : requirement
the necessaries of life
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