Of necessity

Of necessity
Necessity Ne*ces"si*ty, n.; pl. {Necessities}. [OE. necessite, F. n['e]cessit['e], L. necessitas, fr. necesse. See {Necessary}.] 1. The quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite; inevitableness; indispensableness. [1913 Webster]

2. The condition of being needy or necessitous; pressing need; indigence; want. [1913 Webster]

Urge the necessity and state of times. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

The extreme poverty and necessity his majesty was in. --Clarendon. [1913 Webster]

3. That which is necessary; a necessary; a requisite; something indispensable; -- often in the plural. [1913 Webster]

These should be hours for necessities, Not for delights. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

What was once to me Mere matter of the fancy, now has grown The vast necessity of heart and life. --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]

4. That which makes an act or an event unavoidable; irresistible force; overruling power; compulsion, physical or moral; fate; fatality. [1913 Webster]

So spake the fiend, and with necessity, The tyrant's plea, excused his devilish deeds. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

5. (Metaph.) The negation of freedom in voluntary action; the subjection of all phenomena, whether material or spiritual, to inevitable causation; necessitarianism. [1913 Webster]

{Of necessity}, by necessary consequence; by compulsion, or irresistible power; perforce. [1913 Webster]

Syn: See {Need}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Necessity — • A strict connection between different beings, or the different elements of a being, or between a being and its existence. Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Necessity     Necessity …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • necessity — ne·ces·si·ty n pl ties 1 a: the presence or pressure of circumstances that justify or compel a certain course of action; esp: a need to respond or react to a dangerous situation by committing a criminal act b: an affirmative defense originating… …   Law dictionary

  • Necessity — Ne*ces si*ty, n.; pl. {Necessities}. [OE. necessite, F. n[ e]cessit[ e], L. necessitas, fr. necesse. See {Necessary}.] 1. The quality or state of being necessary, unavoidable, or absolutely requisite; inevitableness; indispensableness. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Necessity Is a Mother Tour — Concert tour by ZZ Top Location North America, Asia, Europe Start date September 5, 2009 (2009 09 05) …   Wikipedia

  • necessity is the mother of invention — phrase used for saying that people find ways to do what they have to or get what they need Thesaurus: necessarysynonym Main entry: necessity * * * proverb when the need for something becomes imperative, you are forced to find ways of getting or… …   Useful english dictionary

  • necessity — ► NOUN (pl. necessities) 1) the state or fact of being required or indispensable. 2) an indispensable thing. 3) a situation enforcing a particular course: created more by necessity than design. ● necessity is the mother of invention Cf.… …   English terms dictionary

  • necessity — (n.) late 14c., constraining power of circumstances, from O.Fr. necessité need, necessity; privation, poverty; distress, torment; obligation, duty (12c.), from L. necessitatem (nom. necessitas) compulsion, need for attention, unavoidableness,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • necessity — [nə ses′ətē] n. pl. necessities [ME necessite < OFr nécessité < L necessitas < necesse: see NECESSARY] 1. the power of natural law that cannot be other than it is; natural causation; physical compulsion placed on man by nature; fate 2.… …   English World dictionary

  • necessity is the mother of invention — ► necessity is the mother of invention proverb when the need for something becomes imperative, you are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it. Main Entry: ↑necessity …   English terms dictionary

  • necessity — *need, exigency Analogous words: compelling or compulsion, constraining or constraint, obliging or obligation, coercing or coercion (see corresponding verbs at FORCE): indispensableness, requisiteness or requisition, needfulness (see… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • necessity is the mother of invention — Difficult situations make people inventive …   The small dictionary of idiomes

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”