necessary 1 of 2

adjective

ˈne-sə-ˌser-ē How to pronounce necessary (audio)
Definition of necessarynext
1
as in required
forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law an emissions test is necessary before you can renew the registration for your car

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inevitable
impossible to avoid or evade taxes will always be a necessary evil

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3
as in essential
impossible to do without food and water are necessary for survival

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

necessary

2 of 2

noun

as in must
something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable a modest income that provided the family with only the necessaries of life

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of necessary
Adjective
That’s not constructive, but our tariffs are necessary to protect our workers, protect our companies and our communities. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 Why not maunder and meander on about it, at almost necessary length? — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for necessary
  1. required
  2. inevitable
  3. essential
  4. must
  5. mandatory
  6. possible
  7. needed
  8. requirement
Adjective
  • As for videos, adding the required warning can satisfy the disclosure requirement in the Louisiana law.
    — Stefani Langehennig, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Because the carbon material smooths itself during deposition, manufacturers can eliminate downstream chemical mechanical planarization or etch-back steps that are normally needed to create the required surface.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of required
Adjective
  • Adam’s going to get his heart broken, and all of this seems so inevitable.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But some of it is also an inevitable byproduct of the media doing their job by investigating potential wrongdoing.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of inevitable
Adjective
  • The same report found that 73% of respondents call AI essential, but only 13% of organizations have integrated it into real workflows.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • There are more details about his parents, a sojourn into San Francisco’s bustling Chinatown and an assertion of autonomy within the Trask household, of which Lee is an essential part.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of essential
Noun
  • And while Rockliffe’s new temple of gastronomy is worthy alone of a trip here, staying the night is a must.
    — Nicole Trilivas, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The clear panels fill it with natural light while offering UV protection — an absolute must as a skin cancer survivor.
    — Sarah DiMuro, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of must
Adjective
  • The marketplace provides a mechanism for allied countries to immediately access cutting-edge capabilities while the mandatory compatibility standards allow hardware to be produced in any participating nation, separate from proprietary software.
    — Dan Driscoll, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The inclusion of women, albeit mandatory, is no small matter, as sailing has long been accused of being a masculine environment, if not outright sexist.
    — Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of mandatory
Adjective
  • The South's joint chiefs said Saturday the military stepped up surveillance and vigilance for possible further launches from the North and was closely sharing information with the United States and Japan.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • As Yemen returns to a level of fighting intensity not seen since the 2022 truce, the civil war has entered a decisive phase, with several possible avenues forward.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of possible
Adjective
  • Both could go a long way in lengthening the Yankees’ postseason lineup; the righty-swinging Lombard, in particular, provides some needed balance.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Among the boundaries that have been breached, according to the new report, are carbon dioxide concentrations, which reached a record 426 parts per million (ppm) because fossil fuel burning had not decreased at nearly the needed pace.
    — Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of needed
Noun
  • Thiel also secured New Zealand citizenship in 2011, receiving a special exemption from the usual residency requirements.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The company said at the time that the facility would test battery performance, quality and durability under requirements specific to the region.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of requirement

Browse Nearby Words

necessarily
necessary
necessitate
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Cite this Entry

“Necessary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/necessary. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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