1
as in requirement
something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable
on any road trip, accurate maps are a necessity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 necessity
From knick-knacks to necessities, since the 80s, Boulevard Drive-in’s Swap ‘n’ Shop has built a community with its open market.
—
Zuri Primos
july 11, Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
Comparing unit prices at the grocery store, shopping the sale racks and collecting spare change are necessities for many Americans, who are coping with stagnant wages, rising prices and mounting bills.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 10 July 2025
That includes paying for debris removal, for search and rescue experts who are working around the clock, and for housing, food and other immediate necessities for those who lost homes in the floods.
—Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 9 July 2025
To avoid violating this fundamental law, the state has a duty to provide bare minimum necessities.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for necessity
Zuri Primos
july 11, Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
Comparing unit prices at the grocery store, shopping the sale racks and collecting spare change are necessities for many Americans, who are coping with stagnant wages, rising prices and mounting bills.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 10 July 2025
That includes paying for debris removal, for search and rescue experts who are working around the clock, and for housing, food and other immediate necessities for those who lost homes in the floods.
—Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 9 July 2025
To avoid violating this fundamental law, the state has a duty to provide bare minimum necessities.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for necessity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for necessity
Noun
-
The rates are based on an assumption that workers are paid $15.75 an hour, although there's no requirement for employers to pay that rate.—
Cleo Krejci,
jsonline.com,
8 July 2025
-
Select airports have begun to allow passengers to keep their shoes on while going through security checkpoints, and phasing out the requirement could soon extend to all airports nationwide.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Norms are being shattered, aid budgets for the poorest and most vulnerable are being slashed, and for the first time in a generation, extreme poverty has been on the rise.—
Michael Sheldrick,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
He was plunged into poverty, with years of underpaying jobs, each of which fired him when his arrest came to light.—
Madelyn Harrington,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Pasta salad is always a must at the potluck, and this one has been around for a very long time.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
7 July 2025
-
Finally, and perhaps most obviously, in today’s office world, drinks and snacks are a must.—
Brit Morse,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
Fortune said Thursday that the Obama administration gave Haitians temporary protective status after an earthquake devastated Haiti, multiplying the island’s many miseries.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
3 July 2025
-
The season ends with so many of the characters on the verge of a path to proper fulfillment; why prolong their misery?—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Necessity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/necessity. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share