must

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   Used to say that something is necessary or required.

   You must arrive in class on time.

2. 2
   verb

   Used to say that something is very likely or almost certainly true.

   The children must be asleep by now.

3. 3
   noun

   Something that is necessary or strongly recommended.

   If you're trekking all day, a map is a must.

From Middle English moste ("must", literally, "had to", the past tense of Middle English moten (“to have to”)), from Old English mōste (“had to”), 1st & 3rd person singular past tense of mōtan (“to be allowed, be able to, have the opportunity to, be compelled to, must, may”), from Proto-Germanic *mōtaną. Cognate with Dutch moest (“had to”), German musste (“had to”), Swedish måste (“must, have to, be obliged to”). More at mote.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
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