need - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

WordReference.com English Dictionary

need:

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Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
need/niːd/

▶verb

1 require (something) because it is essential or very important rather than just desirable.

2 expressing necessity or obligation: need I say more?

3 archaic be necessary.

▶noun

1 circumstances in which something is necessary; necessity.

2 a thing that is wanted or required.

3 the state of lacking basic necessities such as food, or of requiring help.

▶adverb (needs) archaic of necessity.

– phrases
needs must (or must needs) it is or was necessary or unavoidable.

– origin OE nēodian (v.), nēod, nēd (n.), of Gmc origin.

usage: The two usual constructions with the verb in sense 1 are that shirt needs washing and that shirt needs to be washed. The construction that shirt needs washed is restricted to certain dialects and is not considered acceptable in standard English.

'need' also found in these Oxford entries:

aid - answer - appetite - background - bar - be - bouncebackability - call - cater - charitable - charity - clearing house - community home - compassion fatigue - control freak - counter - demand - desperate - digenean - dog - enough - exigency - fill - finish - frank - greenhouse - group home - hers - history - hurry - hurt - independent - intuition - ironing - jerkwater - kind - laundry - lay - legal aid - leisure - long - lose - need-blind - needn't - nil desperandum - obviate - ours - oxymoron - penury

Forum discussions with the word(s) "need" in the title:

___ public concern (need a verb)
- We need to get him back to the hospital.
, for example, giving her / I need to give her
..argues the need for a policy...and the appropriate solution
'need doing' vs 'need to be done'
'Need' as a defective verb in the past?
<all the data> <any data> that you may need
"all we need is love" and "the thing we all need is love"
"cards indicating their financial need" / "poverty-identity cards" [acceptable?]
"do not have to" and "need not"
"I need a/to..." in business Emails: Too poor? Just right?
"I need my pants cleaned, Can i drop them off?"
"I need there to be"
"I need those shirts ironing by six tonight!"
"I need you to talk up"
"Need not"
"need reminding" vs "need to be reminded"
"Need to brush up on their sheepshanks"
"need to" and "have to"
"need, needs"
"Need" as a modal verb
"need" in conditional clauses
"We need another one opened up/to be opened up"?
"Where does a painter need science?"
"You must have to know a password" - "must have to" for need is used?
A friend in need is a friend in deed. (indeed)
A friend in need is a friend indeed
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
a need for
a need to / for
more...

Look up "need" at Merriam-Webster
Look up "need" at dictionary.com

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