How to Use necessary in a Sentence

necessary

adjective
  • It's not necessary to wear a tie.
  • The threat of a thunderstorm made it necessary to cancel the picnic.
  • Food is necessary for life.
  • Is it really necessary for me to have surgery?
  • We had all the necessary ingredients.
  • Higher prices are a necessary consequence of the company's new services.
  • She took the medicine only when absolutely necessary.
  • If so, are guides necessary and what is their charge?
    — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
  • A lot of them don’t want to get the help that is necessary.
    — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • A bit of a ‘body through the door’, but a necessary one.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • If necessary, many get part-time jobs.
    — Nancy K. Schlossberg, USA Today, 26 June 2026
  • And that's whats was necessary.
    — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Rest and work are both necessary.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2026
  • And even your fists, when necessary.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
  • In her view, dropping the bombs was necessary to end the war.
    — Erica Huang, Scientific American, 20 July 2023
  • In the event of an attack, use of smoke may be necessary.
    — Carolyn Forché, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
  • None of them thought the shooting was good or necessary.
    — Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Kendall said the roof space was there, but funding was necessary.
    — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • There may be some frost in places, and warm jackets are necessary.
    — Tammie Souza, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Repeat this process as many times as is necessary.
    — Emily Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Still, since this is already two days, that might not be necessary.
    — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Very likely, this means a change is necessary.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Both are necessary in caring for many plants, and there’s a right time to use each method.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025
  • In that case, perhaps a change is necessary.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
  • But his colleagues didn’t think that was necessary.
    — Hanna Kang, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025
  • If a desk is necessary, opt for one that can close or conceal devices.
    — Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 21 Feb. 2026
  • And squinting is not necessary to see a vision for him.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
  • None of this is necessary, and most of this is self-created.
    — Michael Mische, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Goforth said it that type of grit is necessary for startup founders.
    — Ethan Westerman, Arkansas Online, 15 Aug. 2023
  • The pulp and liquid are necessary to help the seeds ferment over the next few days.
    — Heather Bien, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'necessary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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