nécessitent

Nécessitent is the third-person plural present indicative form of the French verb nécessiter, meaning to require or to make something necessary. It is used when the subject (they) imposes a requirement or condition on something else. The present tense forms are je nécessite, tu nécessites, il nécessite, nous nécessitons, vous nécessitez, ils nécessitent. Thus, nécessitent corresponds to ils/elles nécessitent in standard usage.

Etymology: The verb nécesiter derives from Latin necessitas (necessity) through Old French necessiter, sharing a common root with the noun nécessaire and the adjective nécessaire. The sense of imposing conditions or prerequisites is built into its meaning.

Usage: Nécessiter is employed to indicate that a task, action, or resource is required. Examples: "Le budget nécessite des ajustements." "La décision nécessite l’approbation du conseil." "Cela nécessite que vous examiniez les dossiers." In constructions, it can be followed by que + subjonctif (nécessiter que) or by de + infinitif (nécessiter de), with the former often appearing in formal style and the latter more common in everyday usage. The nuance is that the verb emphasizes inherent requirements rather than an external demand.

Related terms: The verb is closely related to the noun nécessité and the adjective nécessaire. It is often contrasted with exiger, which conveys a stronger, more external or imperative demand.