Necessary
/ˈnɛs.ə.sɛr.i/noun
Needed for a particular purpose or unavoidable.
Did you know?English necessary comes through Latin necessarius, from necesse meaning “unavoidable” or “inevitable,” ultimately tied to the idea of compulsion rather than choice.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nek-
“to be binding or necessary; to force”
Latin
Latin
necesse
“unavoidable, inevitable, indispensable”
Late Latin
Latin
necessarius
“needed, essential, required”
Old French
Old French
necessaire
“necessary, requisite”
Middle English
English
necessary
“needed, indispensable”
Modern English
English
necessary
“needed for a purpose; unavoidable”