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Definitions

need

[need] / nid /






Usage

What are other ways to say need? The verb need often suggests urgency, stressing the necessity of supplying what is lacking: to need an operation, better food, a match to light the fire. Require, which expresses necessity as strongly as need, occurs most frequently in serious or formal contexts: Your presence at the hearing is required. Successful experimentation requires careful attention to detail. Lack means to be without or to have less than a desirable quantity of something: to lack courage, sufficient money, enough members to make a quorum. 

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said on Thursday that the government should ban West from entering the UK, arguing "we need to get tougher on antisemitism" and describing West's planned appearance as "extremely serious".

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Farmers and communities also need control over their own data and knowledge.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

Just as Grede believes that women should be honest about wealth aspirations, she also thinks “we need more people to come out and be honest” about raising children.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

People need to figure out other ways to put their energy to other things that’s important.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

It’s then that I remember the email that said we’d need our key fobs to access the pool if we wanted to swim before eight a.m. on weekdays.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam