What is the Latin word for need?

The usual Latin words for “need” are necessitās, necessitūdō, opus; also ūtor, dēsīderium, cūr. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“need” in Latin

necessitāsnecessity, need, unavoidableness, compulsion, exigency; fate, destiny, inevitability; necessities, necessary things or e necessitūdōnecessity, need; distress; relationship, friendship, bond, intimacy; relatives, friends, family, kindred, connections opuswork, labor, accomplishment; workmanship, artwork, work (of art, literature, etc.); need, necessity ūtorto use, make use of, employ; to enjoy, indulge in, take advantage of; to experience, undergo, encounter dēsīderiumlonging, desire, wish (especially for something once possessed); grief, regret (desire for something lost); need, necess cūrwhy; for what reason; wherefore; to what purpose; from what motive

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

need s.

necessitas: necessitudo: opus, usus [SYN. and PHR. in NECESSITY]: desiderium (with desire): to feel the need of a thing, aliqua re or alicujus rei indigere (to have need of): aliquid desiderare (to be unwilling to be without).

need v.

TRANS., To be in want of, egere aliqua re, more rarely alicujus rei (to have need of anything, be in want of it): indigere aliqua re or alicujus rei (to feel the need or want of anything): opus or usus est aliqua re (there is neuter of a thing, circumstances make a thing necessary. ☞ For this only Col., 9, 2, 1, has opus habeo aliqua re): desiderare aliquid (to desire anything absent, to be unwilling to be without it): requirere aliquid (to find a thing requisite or necessary): not to need anything, to be able to do without it, aliqua re carere, facile supersedere posse.

INTRANS., to have occasion to, is usually rendered in Latin by est, quod; opposed to non est, cur; nihil est, nihil habeo, quod, followed by a subjunctive; e.g., you need not fear, nihil est, quod extimescas; nihil habes, quod timeas: they need not diminish their hope, non est, cur spes eorum infringatur.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for need?: The usual Latin words for “need” are necessitās, necessitūdō, opus; also ūtor, dēsīderium, cūr. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.