# needs

/ˈnidz/ (US) · /nˈiːdz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/needs
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 3. necessarily

adverb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

used with the word 'must' to show that something has to happen.

For teachers: an adverb of necessity, almost exclusively appearing in the construction 'must needs' to indicate an unavoidable requirement.

- If he will not listen to reason, then he must needs learn the hard way.
- The king decreed that if the treasury were empty, the people must needs face higher taxes to fund the coming war.

Usage: Almost always follows the auxiliary verb 'must'.

Teaching tip: This is rarely used in modern speech; students will mostly encounter it in Shakespeare or older literature.

## Examples

- The charity provides for the basic needs of the homeless.
- Social workers assess the specific needs of each family to ensure they receive the correct level of support.
- Maslow's hierarchy suggests that humans must satisfy fundamental physiological needs before they can focus on higher-level psychological growth and self-actualization.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.