needs

[ needz ]

adverb

1. of necessity; necessarily (usually preceded or followed by must ):

   It must needs be so.

   It needs must be.

needs

/ niːdz /

adverb

1. preceded or foll by must of necessity

   we will go, if needs must

   we must needs go

plural noun

1. what is required; necessities

   his needs are modest

   the needs of the third world

Word History and Origins

Origin of needs¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English nedis, Old English nēdes, originally genitive of nēd need; -s ¹

Example Sentences

At Thursday’s ceremony, Bass said the new chief has “already hit the ground running” with community meetings and efforts to evaluate the Los Angeles Police Department’s needs.

From Los Angeles Times

“French needs it, because as every English student of French knows, there is no word for ‘shallow’,” he said.

From BBC

Sir David Behan, the OfS chairman, says a university going bust “isn’t imminent now”, but to reduce the risk higher education needs to be “radically reimagined”.

From BBC

Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, which represents 140 institutions, says universities are already "making tough choices to control costs", adding that the sector "needs to continue evolving".

From BBC

The US-based group says the Israeli evacuation orders have been “inconsistent, inaccurate, and frequently not communicated to civilians with enough time”, and that they “did not consider the needs of people with disabilities and others who are unable to leave”.

From BBC