Added 9 October 2026
needs
/niːdz/ adverb
adverb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about needs at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Either directly or indirectly preceded or followed by an auxiliary verb, often must: of necessity or need; necessarily, indispensably.
noun
- plural of need
verb
- third-person singular simple present indicative of need
Origin
From Middle English nedes (“of necessity, necessarily; inevitably, unavoidably”) [and other forms], from Old English nēdes, nīedes (“of necessity; not willingly”), from nīed + -es (suffix forming adverbs from nouns). The English word is equivalent to need + -'s (possessive marker) and hence to need + -s (suffix forming adverbs).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)