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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inevitable
impossible to avoid or evade
taxes will always be a necessary evil
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in essential
impossible to do without
food and water are necessary for survival
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in must
something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable
a modest income that provided the family with only the necessaries of life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Brian Sherrod,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
The Education Department is willing to shift the account program's online platform to a different vendor if necessary, Salas-Ford told Rice on Monday.
—
Arkansas Online,
19 June 2026
Bret Stephens,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2025
Latinos are necessaries for the North American community.
—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for necessary
Adjective
Correct the steering as necessary to stabilize your vehicle and regain control.
—
Brian Sherrod,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
The Education Department is willing to shift the account program's online platform to a different vendor if necessary, Salas-Ford told Rice on Monday.
—
Arkansas Online,
19 June 2026
Noun
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
Latinos are necessaries for the North American community.
—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for necessary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for necessary
Adjective
-
Letters from lawmakers have gone unanswered and required reports unfiled.
-
All required licenses, waivers and permissions needed for the relevant financial transactions will be granted by the United States of America.
Adjective
-
Labour in turmoil With Burnham’s return to front line politics, a leadership race seems all but inevitable.
-
Messi is the standing rebuttal — a leader whose authority was never announced, only demonstrated; whose visibility was never imposed, only inevitable.
Adjective
-
Those approvals allow crews to begin building essential site infrastructure before full production activities start.
-
Therefore, building mental endurance is essential to staving off decision fatigue and reducing the judgment errors that tend to surface when a leader's cognitive reserves run low.
Noun
-
Large drainage holes, however, are a must.
-
One exception is modern glass houses, which maximize views and are a must for all oceanfront builds, old or new.
Adjective
-
Since then, the mussels have spread through California waterways, prompting mandatory boat inspections and decontamination requirements at lakes and reservoirs statewide.
-
The requirement was lifted in 1949 but reinstated in the 1950s, and flu vaccines remained mandatory until Hegseth's order.
Adjective
-
Visit Big Bear said the decision to move forward with the event was not made lightly and that organizers were working with the fireworks provider to reduce the loudest booms where possible.
-
CosRx’s The 6 Peptide Skin Booster isn’t just about packing in as many peptides as possible—each peptide has a different job, from supporting elasticity and smoothing fine lines to calming skin and boosting radiance.
Adjective
-
But only in one of those years did the measure get the needed two-thirds supermajority, so the matter languished.
-
But only in one of those years did the measure get the needed two-thirds supermajority, so the matter languished.
Noun
-
That means the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which is the local enforcement agency for these requirements in the region, will be in charge of monitoring whether businesses are following the law.
-
Since then, the mussels have spread through California waterways, prompting mandatory boat inspections and decontamination requirements at lakes and reservoirs statewide.
Cite this Entry
“Necessary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/necessary. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
