Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

necessitate

/nɪˈsɛsɪteɪt/ verb

Latin root: necessitātus Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about necessitate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To make necessary; to behove; to require (something) to be brought about. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
The early departure of her plane necessitated her waking up at 4 a.m.
To force (a person) into a certain course of action; compel.

Origin

From earlier necessitat, from Medieval Latin necessitātus, perfect past participle of necessitō (“to make necessary”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix, of participial origin)), from Classical Latin necessitās (“necessity, need”) + -ō. Necessitās is derived from necesse (“unavoidable”) (from ne- (“not”) + cessus (“conceded, given up, yielded”). By surface analysis, necessitō + -ate.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word