Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

necessary

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of necessary

1 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 of necessary

compulsory, forced, imperative, incumbent, involuntary, mandatory, nonelective, obligatory, peremptory, required
Words Related to necessary

all-important, essential, indispensable, needed, requisite

insistent, persistent, pressing, urgent

demanded, enforced

coercive
Near Antonyms of necessary

chosen, discretionary

dispensable, unnecessary, unneeded, unwanted

inconsequential, insignificant, nonessential, unimportant
Antonyms of necessary

elective, optional, voluntary

2 impossible to avoid or evade

  • taxes will always be a necessary evil
Synonyms of necessary

certain, ineluctable, ineludible, inescapable, inevitable, sure, unavoidable, unescapable
Words Related to necessary

decided, definite, settled

likely, possible, probable

destined, fated, foreordained, predestined, predetermined, preordained

inexorable, relentless, unremitting, unstoppable
Phrases Synonymous with necessary

in the bag, in the cards (also on the cards)
Near Antonyms of necessary

preventable (also preventible)

doubtful, dubious, questionable, shaky, unclear

undecided, unsettled

undependable, unreliable

improbable, unlikely
Antonyms of necessary

avoidable, evadable, uncertain, unsure

3 impossible to do without

  • food and water are necessary for survival
Synonyms of necessary

all-important, critical, essential, imperative, indispensable, integral, must-have, necessitous, needed, needful, required, requisite, vital
Words Related to necessary

prerequisite

compulsory, mandatory, nonelective, obligatory

consequential, crucial, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, significant, substantial, weighty

basic, central, fundamental, key, organic

insistent, persistent, pressing, urgent
Phrases Synonymous with necessary

of the essence
Near Antonyms of necessary

undesired, unwanted

inconsequential, insignificant, unimportant

excess, external, extra, extraneous, superfluous, surplus
Antonyms of necessary

dispensable, inessential, needless, nonessential, unessential, unnecessary, unneeded

necessary

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of necessary

something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable

  • a modest income that provided the family with only the necessaries of life
Synonyms of necessary

condition, demand, essential, must, must-have, necessity, need, needful, requirement, requisite, sine qua non
Words Related to necessary

precondition, prerequisite

advantage, edge, plus

desideration, desideratum, wish
Near Antonyms of necessary

amenity, comfort, extra, extravagance, frill, indulgence, luxury, superfluity, surplus, surplusage
Antonyms of necessary

nonessential, nonnecessity

Learn More about necessary

  1. See words that rhyme with necessary Dictionary: Definition of necessary Spanish Central: Translation of necessary Nglish: Translation of necessary for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of necessary for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up necessary? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

susurrous

full of whispering sounds

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. gaslight It is a word, though.

  2. invasion CNN reporter questions President.

  3. relevancy Ariana Grande slams ex-fiancé.

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games