Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of necessary

82 similar words · 4 opposite words

Another word for necessary is needed. Other synonyms of necessary are required, basic, essential, indispensable and prerequisite. The opposite of necessary is unnecessary.

Synonyms and similar words for necessary

adjectiveRequired, essential, whether logically inescapable or needed in order to achieve a desired result...

  • basicNecessary, essential for life or some process.
  • essentialNecessary.
  • indispensableAbsolutely necessary or requisite; that one cannot do without.
  • necessarNecessary.
  • necessitousNecessary; unavoidable.
  • neededNecessary; being required.
  • prerequisiteRequired as a prior condition of something else; necessary or indispensable.
  • requiredNecessary; obligatory; mandatory.
  • requisiteEssential, indispensable, required.

adjectiveUnavoidable, inevitable.

  • inevitableImpossible to avoid or prevent.
  • naturalAs expected; reasonable, normal; naturally arising from the given circumstances.

nounA place to do the "necessary" business of urination and defecation: an outhouse or lavatory.

Opposite of necessary

adjectiveRequired, essential, whether logically inescapable or needed in order to achieve a desired result...

adjectiveUnavoidable, inevitable.

Meaning of necessary

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

Full definition of necessary

necessary in other languages

Questions about synonyms of necessary

What is another word for necessary?
Necessary has 82 synonyms on Word.ws, such as needed, required, basic, essential, indispensable, prerequisite, requisite and natural.
What is the opposite of necessary?
The opposite of necessary is unnecessary.
What does necessary mean?
Necessary means required, essential, whether logically inescapable or needed in order to achieve a desired result or avoid some penalty.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: necessary (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of necessary.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/necessary. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.