How to Use necessity in a Sentence

necessity

noun
  • All we took with us on our hiking trip were the bare necessities.
  • Without a car, living close to work is a necessity.
  • Getting plenty of rest is a necessity.
  • Sunscreen is an absolute necessity for the beach.
  • Most call it a war of choice, not of necessity.
    — CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Most call it a war of choice, not of necessity.
    — Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Part of that was out of necessity.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 June 2026
  • The one piece that is always a necessity at the game is my purse.
    — Skyler Caruso, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The process is moving at a rapid pace out of sheer necessity.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026
  • The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
  • The reason that’s just me on those songs is out of necessity.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 17 Aug. 2022
  • Some of us grew up parsing through thrift stores out of necessity.
    — Tess Garcia, refinery29.com, 23 June 2022
  • This is not an action of choice, but one of necessity.
    — The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
  • They're born out of necessity—and a deep desire to not waste food.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Fresh, not frozen, shrimp is a necessity for this easy, garlicky grilled shrimp recipe.
    — Josh Miller, Southern Living, 15 June 2026
  • All of that points to the necessity of a real wok in order to achieve wok hei.
    — Bon Appétit, 29 Mar. 2022
  • Your goal is to make the client see you as a necessity, not a luxury.
    — Roger Lockridge, Men's Health, 2 May 2022
  • First, a dark, quiet, cool room is a necessity.
    — Matt Parrott, Arkansas Online, 28 June 2026
  • This is no day at the spa, rather a necessity to keep firing on all cylinders.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Their weapon of choice, invented out of necessity, is a rock in a sock.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
  • While babies and toddlers might not need much, one of those necessities is a car seat.
    — Ashleigh Morley, Parents, 29 Nov. 2024
  • This is a function of necessity, in part.
    — Brett Berk, Robb Report, 10 Sep. 2025
  • For those people, swinging by to pick up fast food might be a necessity.
    — Jenny Porter Tilley, IndyStar, 25 Dec. 2025
  • Even in the midst of war, diplomacy can still make room for necessity.
    — Comfort Ero, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Blot patches were more of a necessity for me than anything else.
    — Celeste Polanco, Essence, 4 July 2024
  • The Avs needed both to make the move out of necessity.
    — Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Prices of basic necessities are jumping from one week to the next.
    — Derek Tran, Oc Register, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Brown is working to slow down, too, if only out of necessity.
    — Jay King, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
  • The zip-up jacket hits around the waist, and there are two side pockets for your necessities.
    — Phoebe Sklansky, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2023
  • The change in metrics will happen out of necessity, the source said.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN, 28 Apr. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'necessity.' 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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