1
as in necessary
impossible to do without
purchase needful provisions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poor
lacking money or material possessions
let's first help the needful families in our own community
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in money
something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment
fortunately, the family had the needful to stock up the larder before the long hard winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in must
something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable
packed a warm jacket and other needfuls for an autumn weekend in the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of needful
Corey Van Landingham, The New Yorker, 19 June 2023
What sort of response was needful?
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 14 Jan. 2013
They are not found to be such on the injustice and violence of individuals, and lose their efficacy in proportion to the number combined together, that is, in proportion as their efficacy becomes needful.
—James Freeman, WSJ, 27 Dec. 2022
Sometimes environments and selection pressures change radically, and large effect mutations may become needful.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 18 May 2010
For Queen and other Black poets, hip-hop is not only beats and rhymes but something more needful.
—Adam Bradley, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2021
Oxfam exhorts its supporters to send things to the needful Cratchits of the developing world.
—Matthew Sweet, The Economist, 4 Dec. 2020
McBride was touched by the way, in their later years, Marcroft was the primary caregiver for Joyce, who had become needful of that care.
—Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 Nov. 2020
Many proponents of critical race theory — whose animating idea is that race is the one thing needful, the single lens through which all other phenomena should be viewed — are indeed trying to compel compliance.
—Greg Weiner, National Review, 10 Sep. 2020
Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 4 Nov. 2024
Even on this side of the border, the supply of people without legal status but needful of income has led to employers’ brazenly violating child-labor laws.
—The Editors, National Review, 5 May 2023
Adjective
Who promises tomorrows to a whole needful planet, restrikes that match?
—Corey Van Landingham, The New Yorker, 19 June 2023
What sort of response was needful?
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 14 Jan. 2013
They are not found to be such on the injustice and violence of individuals, and lose their efficacy in proportion to the number combined together, that is, in proportion as their efficacy becomes needful.
—James Freeman, WSJ, 27 Dec. 2022
Sometimes environments and selection pressures change radically, and large effect mutations may become needful.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 18 May 2010
For Queen and other Black poets, hip-hop is not only beats and rhymes but something more needful.
—Adam Bradley, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2021
Oxfam exhorts its supporters to send things to the needful Cratchits of the developing world.
—Matthew Sweet, The Economist, 4 Dec. 2020
McBride was touched by the way, in their later years, Marcroft was the primary caregiver for Joyce, who had become needful of that care.
—Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 Nov. 2020
Many proponents of critical race theory — whose animating idea is that race is the one thing needful, the single lens through which all other phenomena should be viewed — are indeed trying to compel compliance.
—Greg Weiner, National Review, 10 Sep. 2020
Noun
The actor did indeed ‘get it together’ and is doing the needful to make things official.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 4 Nov. 2024
Even on this side of the border, the supply of people without legal status but needful of income has led to employers’ brazenly violating child-labor laws.
—The Editors, National Review, 5 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needful
Adjective
-
Trump, Musk, and their supporters say these cuts are necessary to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse from the federal government.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Her teachings focus on necessary skills in death and death education without ignoring the crucial business and marketing training side.—
Zoey Lyttle,
People.com,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
And another research team, using data from 2015 to 2022, observed in an article available in Energy Research and Social Science that poor income distribution correlates with social unrest when fossil fuel subsidies are removed.—
Aldo Flores-Quiroga,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
-
The board meeting featured a slideshow that indicated pre-sales of NASCAR Heat 5 were very poor, 27% behind NASCAR Heat 4 (the previous game in the series) at the same time in development.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Subsequently released testimony and records indicated that some schools had policies of waving through applicants whose parents were expected to give a lot of money.—
Nathan Heller,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
-
The lender could take the land if the money wasn’t paid back.—
Roger Valdez,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
When in Venice, cicchetti (Venetian-style tapas) are a must.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Mar. 2025
-
For those looking to explore further, the 1.75-mile round-trip Chimney Rock Trail is a must.—
Emese Maczko,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Influencing Without Authority For a tech leader, influencing without authority is essential.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
-
The knit is blended with spandex for extra stretch and give — which is essential when traveling — and each piece is lightweight enough that you’ll be left with ample space in your suitcase once they’re packed away.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Three generations of the Kim family have created a politically repressed and economically impoverished state that is nonetheless a pivotal actor on the global stage.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Now with all these things vanished, along with the bookstores and repertory cinemas, the city seems impoverished and disfigured.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The knife was displayed on a table along with cash and a cellphone.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
Fox News,
27 Feb. 2025
-
The group expects a return to revenue growth and positive cash generation this year along with steady margins.—
Giulio Piovaccari,
USA TODAY,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Based on these results, the researchers recommend updating the current B12 requirements.—
Melissa Rudy,
Fox News,
26 Feb. 2025
-
If a recruit was outside these requirements, the applicant was granted 90 days to comply with Army regulations.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
26 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to needful
Cite this Entry
“Needful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needful. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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