NECESSITY Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

necessity

noun

ni-ˈse-sə-tē

Definition of necessity

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

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

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 Fans will judge the necessity of a cap on whether the Dodgers win again. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Many times issues exist with respect to medical necessity, treatment appropriateness and reimbursement defensibility. — Bruce Roffe, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Now, a large segment of Gen X parents consider child care a necessity, not only for very young kids but well into the teen years. — Julie Z. Weil, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2026 Peeking at a partial eclipse without proper eye protection can cause permanent eye damage, experts have warned, making glasses a necessity for safe viewing. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for necessity

Recent Examples of Synonyms for necessity

Noun

States are also setting up systems that may not adequately track pregnant and postpartum enrollees who should be exempt from the law’s new work requirements, erroneously dropping them from coverage, Burak’s report said.

— Andrew Jones, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
There is a new effort to increase the minimum wage and training requirements for security guards in California ahead of the 2028 Olympics.

— Steve Large, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of requirement

Noun

The war is threatening years of progress in education and poverty reduction in Bangladesh, whose economy already was under strain.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
New York assemblywoman Emily Gallagher, a democratic socialist, spoke at a rally on Thursday protesting against jailing people who steal items, such as personal care products, as a result of living in poverty.

— Emily Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of poverty

Noun

But an agent may be harmed when its interests are thwarted, its autonomy denied or its existence ended without any pain or misery.

— Andréa Morris, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Things get increasingly bleak, as the family dog’s heart medicine runs out and Jason has to put him out of his misery, and then — in doomsday prepper mode — carves up the body and puts it in the freezer just in case food gets dire.

— William Earl, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of misery

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necessitous

necessity

neck

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Style

“Necessity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/necessity. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of necessity

noun

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