needful 1 of 2

adjective

ˈnēd-fəl How to pronounce needful (audio)
Definition of needfulnext
1
as in necessary
impossible to do without purchase needful provisions

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poor
lacking money or material possessions let's first help the needful families in our own community

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

needful

2 of 2

noun

1
as in money
something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment fortunately, the family had the needful to stock up the larder before the long hard winter

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2
as in must
something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable packed a warm jacket and other needfuls for an autumn weekend in the country

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of needful
Adjective
Her voice is slurred, needful, abject. — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 8 May 2026 That image of God never has a problem, never has a disease, never lacks anything needful or truly desirable, and has never sinned. — Douglas Sytsma, Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2025 Who promises tomorrows to a whole needful planet, restrikes that match? — Corey Van Landingham, The New Yorker, 19 June 2023 They are not found to be such on the injustice and violence of individuals, and lose their efficacy in proportion to the number combined together, that is, in proportion as their efficacy becomes needful. — James Freeman, WSJ, 27 Dec. 2022 For Queen and other Black poets, hip-hop is not only beats and rhymes but something more needful. — Adam Bradley, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2021 Oxfam exhorts its supporters to send things to the needful Cratchits of the developing world. — Matthew Sweet, The Economist, 4 Dec. 2020 McBride was touched by the way, in their later years, Marcroft was the primary caregiver for Joyce, who had become needful of that care. — Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 Nov. 2020 Sometimes environments and selection pressures change radically, and large effect mutations may become needful. — Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 18 May 2010
Noun
The actor did indeed ‘get it together’ and is doing the needful to make things official. — Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 4 Nov. 2024 Even on this side of the border, the supply of people without legal status but needful of income has led to employers’ brazenly violating child-labor laws. — The Editors, National Review, 5 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needful
  1. necessary
  2. poor
  3. money
  4. must
  5. essential
  6. impoverished
  7. cash
  8. requirement
Adjective
  • The current job climate is creating conditions where pushing past your limits may feel necessary for career survival.
    — Melody Wilding, Contributor, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Successfully navigating those kinds of conflicts will be key if Sharma is to build up the authority and credibility necessary to get Xbox back on track.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of necessary
Adjective
  • Disease that has spread to those organs is associated with poorer treatment outcomes.
    — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
  • They were frustrated with teacher shortages and poor conditions at schools, including overcrowded classrooms and dilapidated buildings.
    — James Cirrone , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Noun
  • Higher mortgage rates are also giving buyers leverage to press sellers for money to buy down their rate for a few years or for the life of the loan, reducing their overall borrowing costs.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The halftime show began in partnership with The Salvation Army in 1997 as a way to raise money for the long-standing charity.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of money
Noun
  • Tantísimo, a farm-to-table Latin American restaurant, shares a patio with the boarding house and is a must for dinner or Sunday brunch.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
  • As always, installing updates in a timely manner is also a must.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of must
Adjective
  • For the technology leader responsible for keeping essential services running, these details provide a basis for assessing what protections exist and what happens in an extreme scenario.
    — Margot Edelman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Beginning in October 2023, the convention center also reportedly implemented additional new bird-safe measures, including closing drapes and blinds overnight and turning off non-essential exterior lights.
    — Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of essential
Adjective
  • The impoverished Reds work as slave labor in the mines of Mars, while the super-strong Golds rule the solar system and war on each other.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Prosecutors accuse him of participating in schemes to divert hundreds of millions of dollars from Venezuelan government programs intended to provide housing, food and other necessities to the country’s impoverished population.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of impoverished
Noun
  • The 2026 midterm elections are set to become the most expensive on record, as Republicans pour cash into battleground races to defy history and maintain control of Congress.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
  • That allows rights owners to unlock cash from income streams that may continue for decades.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of cash
Noun
  • The Spanish Navy and Navantia are working from operational requirements, and the final design must still go through procurement.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • American technology therefore qualified for the Commission’s own sovereign cloud requirements through a European operating structure.
    — Margot Edelman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of requirement

Browse Nearby Words

needed
needful
needfulness
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Cite this Entry

“Needful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needful. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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