necessity
Something you must have or must do in a situation.
A thing that is essential or very important to have or to do in a particular situation.
The simple things people need for life, like food, water, clothes, and a home.
The basic things that people need in order to live in reasonable comfort, especially food, water, clothing, and shelter.
A situation that makes something necessary and gives you no real choice.
The state, fact, or quality of being necessary, especially when circumstances leave no real choice about what must be done.
- Base: necessity
- Plural: necessities, necessity
a matter of necessity
1something that must be done
Something that must be done or had because of a strong need or situation.
- For many workers, taking a second job is a matter of necessity.
- In that climate, air conditioning is a matter of necessity, not comfort.
bare necessities
1only the minimum needed
Only the smallest amount of things that you really need and nothing more.
- We had to sell our furniture and live with just the bare necessities.
- The camp provides only the bare necessities, so you should not expect comfort.
basic necessities
1simple essential things for life
The simple things people must have to live, such as food, water, clothes, and a place to live.
- The charity helps families who cannot afford basic necessities.
- Some villages still lack basic necessities like clean water and electricity.
by necessity
1due to practical need
Because a situation makes it necessary, not because someone wants it.
- The city has, by necessity, become more efficient with its water use.
- Small businesses are, by necessity, very careful with their money.
daily necessities
1things people need every day
Things that people need and use every day, such as food, soap, and other household items.
- The small shop sells daily necessities like rice, milk, and soap.
- With prices rising, even daily necessities are becoming expensive.
life's necessities
1basic needs in life
The basic things a person needs in life, like food, housing, clothes, and sometimes health care or education.
- They saved carefully so they could afford life's necessities in retirement.
- For some families, even life's necessities are hard to pay for.
of necessity
1because it must happen
Because it has to be that way and cannot be avoided.
- Of necessity, the report is limited to the data available.
- The discussion was, of necessity, brief and to the point.
out of necessity
1because there is no choice
Because you have no real choice and must do it.
- She started her own business out of necessity after losing her job.
- Many people work extra hours out of necessity, not because they want to.
the necessities of life
1basic things for living
The basic things that people need to stay alive and live in a simple way, like food, water, clothes, and a home.
- Many people in the area lack the necessities of life.
- Her salary is just enough to cover the necessities of life for her family.
necessity is the mother of invention
1need makes people inventive
When people really need something, they find new and clever ways to get it or solve the problem.
- During the blackout, we cooked on a small gas stove—necessity is the mother of invention.
- When our car broke down in the desert, we used tape and rope to fix it—necessity is the mother of invention.
- He built a simple cooling system from old parts—necessity is the mother of invention.
- They built a shelter from scraps. Necessity is the mother of invention.
- During the pandemic, many businesses moved online, proving that necessity is the mother of invention.
- Many medical advances show that necessity is the mother of invention.
- He built his own heating system from old parts, saying that necessity is the mother of invention.
necessity is the mother of invention
4need produces new ideas
people often invent things because they really need a solution to a problem
- When the power went out, they cooked dinner over a camping stove—necessity is the mother of invention.
- During the crisis, small businesses found creative ways to survive; necessity is the mother of invention.
- She built the tool because nothing else worked, proving that necessity is the mother of invention.
- I made my own desk from old wood because necessity is the mother of invention.
- They created a new delivery system during the pandemic; necessity is the mother of invention.