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

Even the songs that examine love’s absence ultimately return to its necessity. — Jason Phillips, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026

As American tech leaders and policymakers debate the existential risks of AI and the necessity of regulating frontier development, other countries are focusing their efforts on catching up to the US. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Tech necessities Who hasn’t found themselves on a trip without a phone charger? — Heather Bien, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2026

Many in the industry are framing this recklessness as a necessity to prevent another country, China in particular, from creating a superintelligent AI system first. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026