necessity

bare necessities

That which is absolutely essential, with nothing superfluous, extravagant, or unnecessary. All I'm looking for in a mobile phone is the bare necessities: the ability to make phone calls. They weren't kidding when they said the apartment only had the bare necessities: just a bed, a bathroom, and a stove! Crystal's a girl who likes amenities, so there's no way she'll settle for a car that only has the bare necessities.

See also: bare, necessity

make a virtue of necessity

To attend to an obligation with a good attitude; to make the best of a situation in which one is required to do something. There will be many times in your life where you have to do something you don't want to, so it's best to learn very early how to make a virtue of necessity.

See also: make, necessity, of, virtue

necessity is the mother of innovation

The need for something tends to spark creative thinking and action. A less common variant of the phrase "necessity is the mother of invention." A: "I think she'll come up with a solution if we stop stepping in to help her." B: "That's a good point—necessity is the mother of innovation, after all."

See also: mother, necessity, of

necessity is the mother of invention

proverb Creative solutions are often produced in response to difficulties or hardships that need to be overcome. A: "I needed to drain the washing machine to try and unblock it, so I used an old bike tube to funnel the water out the back door." B: "Wow, necessity is the mother of invention, huh?"

See also: mother, necessity, of

Necessity knows no law

Desperation will drive those in need to disobey the law to obtain what they require. I had a pretty hardline on crime until I lost my job, became homeless, and had to resort to stealing to avoid starving to death. Since then, I've come to realize that necessity knows no law.

See also: know, law, necessity, no

of necessity

1. Literally, having to do with or relating to necessity. You don't seem to understand that the issues of necessity and pragmatism outweigh those idealism and desire.

2. Absolutely necessary; of the utmost importance. This is a matter of necessity for us—if we don't secure this investment, the company is as good as finished.

3. Necessarily; as an inevitable or unavoidable outcome or consequence. Of necessity, we are closing the factory for the week to allow investigators to conduct their examination.

See also: necessity, of

out of necessity

Done because of some obligation, need, or requirement. I drive a car out of necessity, but I much prefer riding my bicycle. Many people in the world are forced to steal out of necessity, lest they starve to death.

See also: necessity, of, out

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

make a virtue of necessity

Prov. to do what you have to do cheerfully or willingly. When Bill's mother became sick, there was no one but Bill to take care of her, so Bill made a virtue of necessity and resolved to enjoy their time together.

See also: make, necessity, of, virtue

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Prov. When people really need to do something, they will figure out a way to do it. When the fan belt on Linda's car broke in the middle of the desert, Linda used her stockings as a replacement. Necessity is the mother of invention.

See also: mother, necessity, of

Necessity knows no law.

Prov. If you are desperate, you may have to do illegal things. I'm an honest person by nature, but I lost my job, and my kids needed food and clothes, and it seemed like the best way to get money was to deal in illegal drugs. Necessity knows no law.

See also: know, law, necessity, no

out of necessity

because of necessity; due to need. I bought this hat out of necessity. I needed one, and this was all there was. We sold our car out of necessity.

See also: necessity, of, out

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

bare necessities

Just sufficient resources, with nothing to spare. For example, The room was furnished with just the bare necessities-bed, table, chair. This idiom uses bare in the sense of "mere, and nothing else," a usage dating from about 1200.

See also: bare, necessity

make a virtue of necessity

Do the best one can under given circumstances, as in Since he can't break the contract, Bill's making a virtue of necessity. This expression first appeared in English in Chaucer's The Knight's Tale: "Then is it wisdom, as it thinketh me, to make virtue of necessity." Also see make the best of.

See also: make, necessity, of, virtue

necessity is the mother of invention

Inventiveness and ingenuity are stimulated by difficulty. For example, The first prisoner to tie together bedsheets to escape knew that necessity was the mother of invention . This proverb first appeared in English in 1519 in slightly different form, "Need taught him wit," and exists in many other languages as well.

See also: mother, necessity, of

of necessity

Also, out of necessity. As an inevitable consequence, unavoidably, as in the New Testament: "Of necessity he must release one unto them at the Feast" (Luke 23:17). [Late 1300s]

See also: necessity, of

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

make a virtue of necessity

derive some credit or benefit from an unwelcome obligation.

This is a concept found in Latin in the writings of St Jerome: facis de necessitate virtutem ‘you make a virtue of necessity’. It passed into Old French (faire de necessité vertu ) and was apparently first used in English around 1374 by Chaucer in Troilus and Criseyde.

1997 Spectator How important it is for humanity always to make a virtue out of necessity.

See also: make, necessity, of, virtue

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

neˌcessity is the ˌmother of inˈvention

(saying) a very difficult new problem forces people to think of, design, produce, etc. a solution to it: ‘So how did you manage to open the bottle?’ ‘I used a bit of wire and a stick. Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes.’

See also: mother, necessity, of

make a ˌvirtue of neˈcessity

act in a good or moral way, and perhaps expect praise for this, not because you chose to but because in that particular situation you had no choice

See also: make, necessity, of, virtue

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

of necessity

As an inevitable consequence; necessarily.

See also: necessity, of

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

make a virtue of necessity, to

To make the best of things. This expression dates from the time of Chaucer, who may have been its originator in English (“Thanne is it wisdom, as it thinketh me, To maken virtu of necessitie,” The Knight’s Tale); there are still earlier versions in Latin. It has been repeated ever since. See also make the best of it.

See also: make, of, to, virtue

necessity is the mother of invention

Urgent need prompts one to devise a new solution. Words to this effect date from the time of the ancient Greeks, but the precise phrase first occurs in William Wycherley’s play Love in a Wood (1672, 3.3): “Necessity, mother of invention!” It is a proverb in Italian, French, German, and probably numerous other languages.

See also: mother, necessity, of

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer