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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Necessite(e, -ie, n. Also: necc-, nes(s)-, niesc-, nacand -essyté, -essiité, -essat(i)e, -essaty, -essitie, -essity(e, -esceté, -escitie, -esety, -estie, -issitie, (nesetay). [ME. (Chaucer) and e.m.E. necessite(e, -tie, nessesite, F. necessité (12th c.), L. necessitas.]

1. Constraint or compulsion to a certain course of action exerted on a person by circumstances, the natural order of things, etc.; urgent or compelling need.It or thare is necessitie, it is necessary or essential. Of (na) necessitie, (not) compulsory or essential. Of. also by, necessitie, by force ofcircumstances, necessarily, unavoidably, inevitably. On a necessitie, id. But, without (grete, ony) necessité, unnecessarily, needlessly. Warkis of necessite, actions or employments which cannot possibly or reasonably be neglected.(1) 1456 Hay I. 165/31.
Bot gif necessitee constreynit to geve bataill in haly day Ib. II. 105/22.
Bat gif it be throu grete necessitie Ib. 92/33. a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ. 1224.
Him causit instant necessite To clym abone and lous Him of the tre 1513 Doug. xi. xvii. 53.
The moderis eik … Knawand thar was extreme necessite, With all debait stude on the wallys hee 1533 Boece ix. xix. 338.
Mordac obeyit the fataill necessite Ib. xiv. xvi. 571.
King Robert … be lippir … obeyit the necessite of nature 1533 Bell. Livy I. 19/26, 27.
He wald nocht opin ane haisty … mater les than he war constrenit be necessite … Alwayis sic necessite occurrit Ib. 93/15.
Ȝit he could nocht brek be witt and engyne of man the necessite and violence of fortoun Ib. II. 10/17. 1579 Reg. Morton I. 119.
I am the mair … haymelie because ȝe desyr me to charge ȝou quhen necessite requirit 1581-1623 James VI Poems I. 70/20.
Except necessitie compell yow 1594 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 62. 1596 Dalr. I. 94/31. 1600-1610 Melvill 351.
That they intend na actioun civill … and for remeading of the necessitie that sum ministers hes to enter in pley of law 1640 Mouswald Kirk S. 1 July.
None shall goe from thair awin kirk except they have some urgent necessitie and resonable excuse 1661 Decis. Lords G. 9.
They found no necessity she should be called 1671 Rothesay B. Rec. 200.
To supple thair necessitie to go to Edinburgh(2) 1456 Hay I. 66/33.
It is necessitee that it have a hede Ib. 186/4.
Sen it is necessitee to be done 1490 Irland Mir I. 113/35.
Oft tymes necessite js … to lefe the wourdis of the law and folow the … entencioune of the … makare of the law Ib. MS. 336.
Geve it be necessite he suld mak batall for the faith 1629 Justiciary Cases I. 114.
Thair is no necessitie to preve this part of the dittay be the depositioun of parteis leveand 1663 Justiciary Ct. Rec. I. 74. c 1673 Laing MSS. I. 387.
Ther may be als much nesestie on the other hand that sum cum up for self defence in the councill hier(3) 1562-3 Winȝet I. 77/24.
Mony thingis quhilkis ar … of na necessitie iniunit we [sic] to beleue(4) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 31 (C).
Sene of necessyte he streyngned Was to folow thar wyles feyned 1531 Bell. Boece I. 14.
The Pichtis … answerit thay contrackit affinitie with the Scottis mair of necessite than ony hartly frendschip c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 60.
Bot it requyris als, of necessitie, That we contynew in Christs euangell Ib. 480.
There is no credeit, bot of necessitie, The pure broder for hunger he man die Ib. 279. a1578 Pitsc. I. 125/27.
Quhilk was ane cryme committit rathir of necessatie then willfullie of set purpois 1604 Elphinstone Mun. 33.
He man of necessatie submit him selff 1609 Bk. Univ. Kirk III. 1072. 1645 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III. 45. 1660 Ruthven Corr. 166.
Iff we were voluntarlie pour, as we are by necessitie pour(5) 1603 Elgin Rec. II. 113.
Jonnet Watsone confessit the inbringing of burne on the sabboth day on a necessitye(6) 1456 Hay I. 300/10.
For to geve but caus resounable outrageus giftis our mesure but grete necessitee is nocht larges [etc.] 1513 Doug. xiii. Prol. 116.
Ȝour buke ekit but ony necessite 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 27.
The king sleping in the schip without ony necessitie nother constraint be wynd nor weddir(7) 1630 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 335.
Making, turning and drying of malt have ever bene hitherto tollerat on the sabboth day as warkis of necessitie(8) a1500 Bk. Chess 1466.
proverb A frend is kend in gret necessite

b. Urgent or pressing requirements of an office or one's affairs. 1613 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 14b (31 Mar.).
The elderis and deaconis convenis nocht sa frequent as thay vcht and the necessitie of thair office cravis 1631 Thanes of Cawdor 273.
The necessitie of his adois doeth ofttymes invite him to the lowlandis

c. Necessity of (the) tyme, urgent or pressing circumstances, urgency, emergency. 1571 Cal. Sc. P. III. 659.
The nesesety of the tyme may bide no longer delay 1644 Inverness Rec. II. 182.
Forsamekle as the present necissitie of tyme reqweyreth [etc.]

d. Of necessitie, as a logically necessary or unavoidable consequence, indisputably. c1600 Montg. Suppl. vi. 7.
So of nacessitie man succeid Nan luifis bott fullis vnlude agane 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I. 99.
Quhilk man be of necessitie trew

2. The condition of being in difficulty or stress, ‘straits’; also, the situation causing such difficulties. Also plur.sing. (1) c1420 Wynt. i. 623.
Quhy sulde He Hys gracys kyth Till us in our necessyte Ib. iv. 1575.
Armwrys … Thai tuk in that necessyte ?a1500 Steel Roy Robert 85.
At we nor ȝit nane vnder croun Was never in sic necessitie 1481 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 331.
The sade Williame is bundin … neuer to disheres forther than is forsaide bot for urgent necessitie 1490 Irland Mir. I. 22/18. 1491 Dunferm. B. Rec. 29.
That the assidacione that thai set of Cluttis croft … of v yeris wes for werra necessite and nychtburis wardit and appreffit the necessite c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 2. 1533 Boece v. iv. 170.
Gald … vsit na exactiouns in extreme necessite 1548–9 Corr. M. Lorraine 285.
To help him in his niescescete and ned Arundel MS. 249/316.
Thou … knawis the seiknes of my saule and necessite that I suffer … how oft tymes grevit, tempit, trublit and desolut c1568 Lauder Minor P. iii. 26.
The godlie men with pietie ar opprest To see thair brethren in necessitie 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 10. Ib. 36. a1578 Pitsc. I. 118/8.
To serwe ȝour graice at this instant tyme in ȝour necessitie 1611 Reg. Panmure I. xciii.
Jhone King of France, quha was takin … at the battel of Poictiers, quhilk also did bringe France to gryt necessitie(2) 1456 Hay II. 54/37.
Worschipfull custume is in knycht in tyme of necessitee to request of party to arme him and defend the [etc.] 1549 Compl. 145/20.
Sum gadthrid the frutis and kepit them quhil on to the tyme of necessite 1596 Dalr. I. 101/2.
That all the gudes of al men in tym of necessitie … ar commouneplur. 1456 Hay II. Prol. 17.
To governe, reugle and defend thame in all thair necessiteis 1513 Doug. i. ix. 33.
Ourset with all maner necessiteis And euery perrell baith be landis and seis Arundel MS. 282/111.
Help me … in all my tribulacionis, vexacionis and necessiteis

b. spec. The condition of being in straits through lack of means; want, poverty, destitution.For further examples see Mister n. 5 (4). c1420 Wynt. v. 1098.
Thare necessyte Walde he wysyte and amend 1456 Hay II. 102/5.
Do all thy diligence to enquire and spere of the grete necessitee of the poure 1477 Peebles B. Rec. I. 182.
Thomas Doby … maid manifest befor tham his gret necessite, and he proforit his land … gyff thai wald … fynd hym his mysteris qwhylk that stud hym in gret necessite and fawt of his lewyng c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 33/22.
And thow se a persone in extreme necessite … thow may geve almos Ib. /28. Ib. 56/5. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3119.
Thairefter cummis necessitie. Hounger, pureteth, and pouertie 1587 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 20 May.
In his great necessate 1593 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 285.
The tounschip haveing consideratioun of Thomas Massounis present necessitie 1604 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 41. 1638 Inverness Rec. II. 175. 1682 Murray Lyon Hist. Lodge Edinb. 29.
Having tackin it to thare sereas considarashon the great nesetay of thar pour

3. The need of a person for sustenance or other requirements of life. b. The things one needs to live, one's necessities of life.sing. and plur.Atour necessite, more than is necessary to life.(1) 1375 Barb. vi. 29 (C).
sing. His men fra him sua scalit war Till purches thame necessite c1420 Wynt. vi. 150.
Ilke nycht in [to] priwaté He wald wyte the necessyté Off all, that nede had nere hym by 1456 Hay II. 102/15.
Bathe for thy necessite and of thy peple 1490 Irland Mir. I. 44/11.
We desyre that our fader of hevin prouid to us temporale sustinaunce, suppleand oure necessite a1500 Bernardus 259.
Thow prent in hart fyrst thi necessiite And of howseis quhat may suffice thé 1600-1610 Melvill 116.
Wha skarslie haid to furnise his necessitie 1649 Craig-Brown Selkirkshire I. 488. 1675 Cunningham Diary 59.
Ane small soume for supplieing of his wyff and fyve childringis necessitieplur. 1456 Hay I. 226/20.
Na nane othir that be caus of his necessiteis bringand Ib. II. 40/1.
In default of horse, harnais and othir necessiteis 1490 Irland Mir. I. 22/16.
Gif and graunt ws oure necessiteis and waurldly sustinaunce to lif in this waurld 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 10.
And mak thayme clathys, and provid to thair necessiteis the rest of the yeir a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 69.
That his majestie's neccessities be supplied by the readiest of quhatsomever dewties [etc.](2) a1500 Bk. Chess. 1580.
Avarice it is luf inordinate To gadder gold … Or thaim to kepe at our necessite 1596 Dalr. I. 93/5.
Thair cleithing was til necessitie and nocht til decore

c. Necessaries, needs, more generally. — 1456 Hay II. 141/10.
[Claret wine] gerris it serve better to the necessiteis of the disposicioun of the harnis with a temperit hete

4. The condition of being necessary or imperatively or indispensably required.Chiefly const. of the thing needed.(1) 1558-66 Knox II. 127.
The one is rather a pompe and gloriouse vane ceremonye than a substantiall point of necessitie requyred to a lauchfull parliament 1595 James VI in Spotsw. Hist. (1665) 410.
Hoping … that God will reserve you yet to me as Hezekiah was to his people, for the necessity between prince and subject is reciproque(2) 1456 Hay I. 235/32.
For sik lordis and ambassadouris peraventure had necessitee of hors and mulis 1612 Orkney & Shetl. Ct. Bk. (ed.) 19 Aug.
Beggeris … urges the induelleris to give thame that hes na necessitie of the same 1627 Rep. Parishes 126.
Thair is a great necescitie of a schoole 1649 Kirkcaldy Presb. 341.
To … report thair judgement of the necessitie of a separatioun from the present kirk of Kirkcaldie 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 204.
There is onlie four cisternes … and … there will be a necessitie of fyve 1682 New Mills Manuf. 19.
In regard of the absolute necessaty we had of one to perform the affaires mentioned