needful

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈniːdfl̩/ See IPA manual

Freq #47685

Meanings

1

adj
necessary for relief or supply

Provided them with all things needful.
2

noun
the necessary task or item

To meet our schedule we must do the needful.
3

adj
Needed; necessary; mandatory; requisite; indispensable.

And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforeſaid, That in every Town in the Colony, where Bread is Baken for Sale, there ſhall be Choſen one Clerk of the Market, or more, as each Town ſhall find needful, at their Annual Election of Town Officers, who ſhall duly be Engaged, to the faithful performance of ſaid Office, as other Town Officers are ;[…].
4

adj
Needy; in need.

[…] where his active benevolence was ever found in cheerful co-operation for the cause of the humble & needful orphan […].

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · necessary for relief or supply required

Word family

Derived forms needfullyneedfulnessunneedful

Etymology

From Middle English needeful, nedeful, from Old English nēodful (“necessary; earnest; zealous”). Equivalent to need + -ful. Cognate with Dutch noodvol, German notvoll.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# needful

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈniːdfl̩/
**Frequency rank:** 47685

## Meanings
1. necessary for relief or supply
2. the necessary task or item
3. Needed; necessary; mandatory; requisite; indispensable.
4. Needy; in need.

## Examples
- Provided them with all things needful.
- To meet our schedule we must do the needful.
- And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforeſaid, That in every Town in the Colony, where Bread is Baken for Sale, there ſhall be Choſen one Clerk of the Market, or more, as each Town ſhall find needful, at their Annual Election of Town Officers, who ſhall duly be Engaged, to the faithful performance of ſaid Office, as other Town Officers are ;[…].
- […] where his active benevolence was ever found in cheerful co-operation for the cause of the humble & needful orphan […].

## Derived Forms
- needfully
- needfulness
- unneedful

## Etymology
From Middle English needeful, nedeful, from Old English nēodful (“necessary; earnest; zealous”). Equivalent to need + -ful. Cognate with Dutch noodvol, German notvoll.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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