Added 9 October 2026
necessary
/ˈnɛs.ə.sɹi/ noun
In Latin: necesse Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about necessary at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Anything indispensable.
food and shelter are necessities of life
adjective
- Absolutely essential.
-
Unavoidably determined by prior circumstances.
the necessary consequences of one's actions
Origin
From Middle English necessarye, from Old French necessaire, from Latin necessārius (“unavoidable, inevitable, required”), variant of necesse (“unavoidable, inevitable”), probably from ne or non cessum, from the perfect passive participle of cēdō (“yield; avoid, withdraw”); see cede. Older use as a noun in reference to an outhouse or lavatory under the influence of English and Latin necessārium, a medieval term for the place for monks’ “unavoidable” business, usually located behind or attached to monastic dormitories.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)