Definition of must
present tense and past tense, all persons must
1 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
- 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 (see conscience 1) 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 (see infer 1) 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
archaic
: to be obliged to go
- I must to Coventry
- —William Shakespeare
