necessity

1 something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable on any road trip, accurate maps are a necessity Synonyms condition, demand, must, must-have, necessary, essential, need, needful, requirement, requisite, sine qua nonRelated Words precondition, prerequisite; advantage, edge, plus; desideration, desideratum, wishNear Antonyms amenity, comfort, extra, extravagance, frill, indulgence, luxury, superfluity, surplus, surplusageAntonyms nonessential, nonnecessity

2 the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions two years of unemployment had reduced the family to abject necessity Synonyms beggary, destituteness, destitution, impecuniosity, impecuniousness, impoverishment, indigence, poverty, need, neediness, pauperism, penuriousness, penury, poorness, wantRelated Words gutter, misery, woe, wretchedness; exigency; emergency, rainy day; austerity, deprivation, privation; bankruptcy, insolvency; belt-tightening, pinching, straiteningNear Antonyms luxury, prosperityAntonyms affluence, opulence, richness, wealth, wealthiness