necessitate

verb

ne·​ces·​si·​tate ni-ˈse-sə-ˌtāt 

necessitated; necessitating

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 

noun

Synonyms

• bear
• challenge
• claim
• demand
• need
• require
• take
• want
• warrant

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

Thirdly, the new doctrine increased the list of what Russia considers military dangers that might necessitate a nuclear response. —Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024

Some critics say bitcoin, launched 15 years ago, remains a relatively new asset lacking the kind of social utility or financial import that would necessitate a strategic reserve. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 Dec. 2024

This necessitated shooting a body double from behind. —Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 18 Dec. 2024

In its heyday, going to the mall was an absolute event that necessitated an outfit worthy of the occasion—we’re talking Abercrombie jeans, Hollister tees, the freshest pair of Converse. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

necessitate

verb

ne·​ces·​si·​tate ni-ˈses-ə-ˌtāt 

necessitated; necessitating

: to make necessary

sick enough to necessitate staying home

necessitation

-ˌses-ə-ˈtā-shən 

noun