Definition of NECESSARY

necessary

Plural: necessaries, necessarys

Noun

  • anything indispensable
  • A place to do the "necessary" business of urination and defecation: an outhouse or lavatory.
  • Necessity.

Adjective

  • absolutely essential

Adjective Satellite

  • unavoidably determined by prior circumstances
    • "the necessary consequences of one's actions"

Adj

  • Required, essential, whether logically inescapable or needed in order to achieve a desired result or avoid some penalty.
  • Unavoidable, inevitable.
  • Determined, involuntary: acting from compulsion rather than free will.

Examples

  • Although I wished to think that all was false, it was yet necessary that I, who thus thought, must in some sense exist.
  • If it is absolutely necessary to use public computers, you should plan ahead and forward your e-mail to a temporary, disposable account.
  • It is absolutely necessary that you call and confirm your appointment.

Origin / Etymology

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.

Synonyms

essential, necessity, requirement, requisite, House of Lords, WC, bathroom, bog, bogger, brasco, can, carsey, cloaca, closet, closet of decency, closet of ease, cludgie, cottage, crapper, dike, dunny, facilities, geography, house of office, indispensable, inevitable, jacks, jacques, jakes, john, johnny, karzy, khazi, kocay, ladies and gentlemen, latrine, lats, lav, lavabo, lavatory, lavvy, loo, natural, necessar, necessarium, necessary, necessary place, necessary room, neddy, needed, netty, office, office of ease, place, potty, prerequisite, privy, purging place, required, restroom, shield, shitter, siege, six, small room, smallest room, teahouse, tearoom, throne room, thunderbox, toilet, toilet room, urinal, urination station, usual offices, vault, wardrobe, washroom, water closet, withdraught

Scrabble Score: 14

necessary: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
necessary: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
necessary: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 15

necessary: valid Words With Friends Word