Synonyms of necessity

necessity

noun

ni-ˈse-sə-tē 

1

as in requirement

something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable

on any road trip, accurate maps are a necessity

Synonyms & Similar Words

• requirement
• must
• necessary
• need
• essential
• requisite
• demand
• needful
• must-have
• condition
• prerequisite
• sine qua non
• precondition
• advantage
• plus
• wish
• desideratum
• edge
• desideration

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• surplus
• luxury
• comfort
• extra
• extravagance
• indulgence
• nonnecessity
• nonessential
• superfluity
• surplusage
• frill
• amenity

2

as in poverty

the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions

two years of unemployment had reduced the family to abject necessity

Synonyms & Similar Words

• poverty
• misery
• need
• destitution
• impoverishment
• penury
• indigence
• pauperism
• neediness
• beggary
• poorness
• deprivation
• impecuniosity
• impecuniousness
• exigency
• penuriousness
• destituteness
• emergency
• want
• bankruptcy
• wretchedness
• woe
• privation
• gutter
• rainy day
• insolvency
• austerity
• pinching
• belt-tightening
• straitening

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wealth
• richness
• affluence
• opulence
• luxury
• prosperity
• wealthiness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of necessity

But the necessity of paring down such a massive event has the effect of flattening the very elements that ought to give it its texture and heft — namely, the people involved. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026

The Iran war has put pressure on supply for necessities such as fuel and fertilizer and has at times sent prices soaring. — Justin Papp, CNBC, 30 July 2026

In remote communities where maintenance and repair are difficult, reducing the amount of active infrastructure was a necessity. — IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2026

Basic necessities—dairy, rice, staples where supply is abundant and quality reliable—have become a hunt for the best price. — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 29 July 2026