1
as in requirement
something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable
on any road trip, accurate maps are a necessity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of necessity
Healthy employees are a necessity, but healthy leaders are a prerequisite.
—
Julian Hayes Ii,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Parisians understand the versatility and necessity of a well-fitting, work- and play-appropriate tee.
—
Emma Greene,
InStyle,
26 June 2026
Weinstock questioned the effectiveness and necessity of two other provisions in the bill.
—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
26 June 2026
In colonial India, the British monopolized the sale of salt, making this basic necessity unaffordable for many.
—
Zehra Jumabhoy,
Artforum,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for necessity
Julian Hayes Ii,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Parisians understand the versatility and necessity of a well-fitting, work- and play-appropriate tee.
—
Emma Greene,
InStyle,
26 June 2026
Weinstock questioned the effectiveness and necessity of two other provisions in the bill.
—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
26 June 2026
In colonial India, the British monopolized the sale of salt, making this basic necessity unaffordable for many.
—
Zehra Jumabhoy,
Artforum,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for necessity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for necessity
Noun
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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.
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Since then, the mussels have spread through California waterways, prompting mandatory boat inspections and decontamination requirements at lakes and reservoirs statewide.
Noun
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North Side schools have remained dominant in bringing in this outside funding, but some higher-poverty South and West Side campuses such as Kenwood increasingly held their own.
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Those concerns already exist within New Haven, and leaders would need to balance the existence of more than $1 billion in combined economic investment into local quantum efforts with the needs of a city where one quarter of residents lived in poverty in 2023.
Noun
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Large drainage holes, however, are a must.
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One exception is modern glass houses, which maximize views and are a must for all oceanfront builds, old or new.
Noun
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The episodes seemed to wallow in Carmy’s misery, along with the frustrations of everyone around him.
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That’s a recipe for in-flight misery.
Cite this Entry
“Necessity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/necessity. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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