necesitate

Necessitate is an English verb meaning to cause something to be required or unavoidable; to require or compel. It is transitive and takes a direct object—the thing that becomes necessary—often a noun phrase or a verb in the -ing form. For example: "The accident necessitated a lengthy detour." "The project timeline was revised to avoid actions that would necessitate additional funding."

Etymology: The word derives from Latin necessitas, meaning "necessity," and from necessitare, through Medieval Latin, with related forms such as necessary and necessity. The sense of imposing a requirement or obligation developed in English over time.

Usage: Necessitate is relatively formal and common in legal, policy, technical, and academic writing. In everyday language, speakers often use "require" or "make necessary" instead. The nuance of necessitate is that an external or preceding condition creates the need for a subsequent action or outcome.

Related terms: Synonyms include require, compel, impose, and obligate. Antonyms include obviate and prevent, which express ways to remove or avoid the need for something. The noun form is necessity, and the adjective is necessary. The word is commonly conjugated as necessitate, necessitates, necessitated, and necessitating. Note: the standard English spelling is necessitate; "necesitate" may appear as a misspelling.