necessitate

verb

ne·​ces·​si·​tate ni-ˈse-sə-ˌtāt How to pronounce necessitate (audio)
necessitated; necessitating
Synonyms of necessitatenext

transitive verb

1
: to make necessary : require
Business was growing, which necessitated the hiring of additional employees.
2
: force, compel
was necessitated to choose some other route
necessitation
ni-ˌse-sə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce necessitate (audio)
noun

Synonyms of necessitate

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Examples of necessitate in a Sentence

New safety regulations necessitated adding a railing to the stairs. getting new shoes would necessitate another trip to the mall
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Where does the threshold live that an action necessitates some proportional reaction? — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 29 June 2026 Pointer has voiced his concerns in the past as the park has had multiple delays, including cracking in the concrete cap that necessitated replacement. — Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 June 2026 And getting the story right necessitates telling the whole story, not only from the perspective of a George Washington, but from the perspective of somebody who worked in that house. — Deena Zaru, ABC News, 4 July 2026 Janet, meanwhile, is having the kind of emotional breakdown that necessitates producer intervention. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for necessitate

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of necessitate was in 1625

Rhymes for necessitate

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Browse Nearby Words

necessitarianism
necessitate
necessitation
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Cite this Entry

“Necessitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/necessitate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

necessitate

verb
ne·​ces·​si·​tate ni-ˈses-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce necessitate (audio)
necessitated; necessitating
: to make necessary
sick enough to necessitate staying home
necessitation
-ˌses-ə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce necessitate (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on necessitate

Nglish: Translation of necessitate for Spanish Speakers

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