NECESSITY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does necessity mean? 

• NECESSITY (noun)
  The noun NECESSITY has 2 senses:

1. the condition of being essential or indispensable

2. anything indispensable

  Familiarity information: NECESSITY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• NECESSITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The condition of being essential or indispensable

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("necessity" is a kind of...):

demand; need (a condition requiring relief)

Attribute:

necessary (absolutely essential)

unnecessary; unneeded (not necessary)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "necessity"):

requisiteness (the state of being absolutely required)

urgency (the state of being urgent; an earnest and insistent necessity)

Derivation:

necessary (absolutely essential)

necessitate (require as useful, just, or proper)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Anything indispensable

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Synonyms:

essential; necessary; necessity; requirement; requisite

Context example:

a place where the requisites of water fuel and fodder can be obtained

Hypernyms ("necessity" is a kind of...):

thing (a separate and self-contained entity)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "necessity"):

desideratum (something desired as a necessity)

must (a necessary or essential thing)

need; want (anything that is necessary but lacking)

Derivation:

necessary (absolutely essential)

necessitate (require as useful, just, or proper)

necessitous (poor enough to need help from others)

 Context examples 

We had one violent storm, and were under a necessity of steering westward to get into the trade wind, which holds for above sixty leagues.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

“There is no necessity for my calling this morning,” said the young man; “another day would do as well; but there was that degree of acquaintance at Weymouth which—”

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

As Mrs. Jennings could talk on no other subject, Elinor soon saw the necessity of preparing Marianne for its discussion.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Ah, answered he, let mercy take the place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it out of necessity.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

In that case, sir, Adele ought to go to school: I am sure you will perceive the necessity of it.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

The spare rooms at the Parsonage had never been wanted, but the absolute necessity of a spare room for a friend was now never forgotten.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

I had long ago recognised the necessity, and begun to take off my coat, but he stopped me with a warning hand.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Need I say that this necessity had been foreseen by—HEEP?

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

There are undoubtedly many who could not say the same, but thanks to Lady Catherine de Bourgh, I am removed far beyond the necessity of regarding little matters.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

The absolute necessity of seeming like herself produced then an immediate struggle; but after a while she could do no more.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)