Nødvendige

Nødvendige is a Norwegian adjective meaning “necessary” or “essential.” It is the plural form used before plural nouns, as in phrases like nødvendige tiltak (necessary measures), nødvendige forhold (necessary conditions). It can also function in predicative constructions with a plural subject, such as disse punktene er nødvendige (these points are necessary). In definite constructions, the form follows standard Norwegian adjective inflection, for example de nødvendige tiltak (the necessary measures).

In the typical Bokmål and Nynorsk usage, the singular indefinite form is nødvendig, while the plural indefinite form is nødvendige. The definite plural form is de nødvendige (in Bokmål) or dei nødvendige (in Nynorsk). The distinction between singular and plural forms is an essential part of Norwegian adjective agreement, so andre plural contexts will take nødvendige, whereas singular statements use nødvendig.

Etymology and cognates: nødvendig derives from the noun nød, meaning need or necessity, combined with a suffix that forms adjectives indicating something related to that state. The word has cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as Danish nødvendigt/nødvendig and Swedish nödvändig/nödvändiga. The Norwegian forms share the same roots and are closely related to related terms in neighboring languages. The English equivalent is necessary, a word with a shared Latin-based lineage through French and English.

Usage context: nødevendige appears across formal and formalized contexts, including law, policy, science, and everyday speech, to denote items, conditions, or actions that are required or essential. It is commonly paired with nouns describing obligations, requirements, or prerequisites.