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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
-
According to multiple reports, the agency will be phasing out the security requirement at select U.S. airports.—
Diana Leyva,
The Tennessean,
8 July 2025
-
But that all changed in June, when the body overseeing the program -- the National Telecommunications and Information Administration -- sent out a policy notice changing the program's requirements, including removing climate resiliency and middle-class affordability mandates.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Despite abundant natural wealth, six out of 10 Liberians live in poverty, according to the World Bank, and Liberia is among the world's 10 poorest nations.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 July 2025
-
One major source of funding for Wisconsin is the Every Student Succeeds Act, which broadly aims to reduce achievement gaps by providing funds to schools with high concentrations of students living in poverty.—
Anna Kleiber,
jsonline.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Finally, and perhaps most obviously, in today’s office world, drinks and snacks are a must.—
Brit Morse,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
-
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
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 19 Jul. 2025.
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