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Need vs. Needs: Know the Difference

Shumaila Saeed
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
"Need" refers to a requirement or necessity for survival or well-being, while "needs" is the plural form, denoting multiple requirements or necessities.
Need vs. Needs

Key Differences

"Need" is used to describe a singular requirement or necessity that is essential for someone or something. "Needs," as the plural form, refers to several requirements or necessities.
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Shumaila Saeed
Dec 05, 2023
"Need" often indicates a specific, individual necessity. In contrast, "needs" encompasses a range of necessities that can be required by an individual, group, or situation.
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Dec 05, 2023
In grammar, "need" can function as both a noun and a verb, whereas "needs" is primarily used as a noun in its plural form.
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Dec 05, 2023
"Need" can express urgency or importance of a single necessity. "Needs," however, implies a collection of essential requirements.
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Dec 05, 2023
In the context of human welfare, "need" might refer to a critical requirement like food or shelter, while "needs" could encompass a broader spectrum, including emotional and physical necessities.
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Dec 05, 2023
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Comparison Chart

Grammatical Number

Singular
Plural
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Usage

Refers to a single requirement
Refers to multiple requirements
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Function

Can be a noun or verb
Primarily a noun in plural form
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Context

Implies urgency for one necessity
Encompasses a range of necessities
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Scope

Specific and individualized
Broad and often inclusive
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Need and Needs Definitions

Need

A situation or condition requiring a particular thing.
There's a need for more affordable housing in the city.
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Nov 26, 2023

Needs

Plural form of need, indicating multiple requirements.
Her job fulfills both her financial and emotional needs.
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Nov 26, 2023

Need

The state of requiring help, or assistance.
After the storm, the community was in great need.
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Nov 26, 2023

Needs

Different desires or wishes in a particular context.
The survey will help us understand the needs of local residents.
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Nov 26, 2023

Need

An obligation or duty that one must do.
She felt the need to apologize for her mistake.
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Needs

A collection of factors requiring attention or resolution.
Addressing the needs of the environment is crucial.
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Need

A condition or situation in which something must be supplied in order for a certain condition to be maintained or a desired state to be achieved
Crops in need of water.
A child's need for affection.
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Oct 19, 2023

Needs

Multiple obligations or duties in a given situation.
As a teacher, she has to balance the needs of all her students.
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Nov 26, 2023

Need

Something required or wanted; a requisite
"Those of us who led the charge for these women's issues ... shared a common vision in the needs of women" (Olympia Snowe).
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Oct 19, 2023

Needs

Various essential items necessary for living.
The charity aims to provide the basic needs of food and shelter.
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Nov 26, 2023

Need

Necessity; obligation
There is no need for you to go.
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Oct 19, 2023

Needs

Of necessity; necessarily
We must needs go.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

A condition of poverty or misfortune
The family is in dire need.
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Oct 19, 2023

Needs

(archaic) Either directly or indirectly preceded or followed by an auxiliary verb, often must: of necessity or need; necessarily, indispensably.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

To be under the necessity of or the obligation to
They need not come. You needn't be concerned.
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Oct 19, 2023

Needs

Plural of need
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

To have need of; require
The family needs money. We need to get some more paint.
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Oct 19, 2023

Needs

Of necessity; necessarily; indispensably; - often with must, and equivalent to of need.
A man must needs love mauger his head.
And he must needs go through Samaria.
He would needs know the cause of his repulse.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

To have an obligation (to do something)
You need to clean up your room.
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Oct 19, 2023

Needs

In such a manner as could not be otherwise;
It is necessarily so
We must needs by objective
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

To be subject (to an action) by obligation
Bags need to be stowed underneath the seat in front of you.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

To want to be subject to
We don't need another lecture on the subject.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

To be in need or want.
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Need

To be necessary.
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Need

A requirement for something; something needed.
There's no need to speculate; we can easily find out for sure.
She grew irritated with his constant need for attention.
Our needs are not being met.
I've always tried to have few needs beyond food, clothing and shelter.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

Lack of means of subsistence; poverty; indigence; destitution.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

(transitive) To have an absolute requirement for.
Living things need water to survive.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

(transitive) To want strongly; to feel that one must have something.
After ten days of hiking, I needed a shower and a shave.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

(modal verb) To be obliged or required (to do something).
You need not go if you don't want to.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

(intransitive) To be required; to be necessary.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

To be necessary (to someone).
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Need

A state that requires supply or relief; pressing occasion for something; necessity; urgent want.
And the city had no need of the sun.
I have no need to beg.
Be governed by your needs, not by your fancy.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

Want of the means of subsistence; poverty; indigence; destitution.
Famine is in thy cheeks;Need and oppression starveth in thine eyes.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

That which is needful; anything necessary to be done; (pl.) necessary things; business.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

Situation of need; peril; danger.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

To be in want of; to have cause or occasion for; to lack; to require, as supply or relief.
Other creatures all day longRove idle, unemployed, and less need rest.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

To be wanted; to be necessary.
When we have done it, we have done all that is in our power, and all that needs.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

Of necessity. See Needs.
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

A condition requiring relief;
She satisfied his need for affection
God has no need of men to accomplish His work
There is a demand for jobs
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

Anything that is necessary but lacking;
He had sufficient means to meet his simple needs
I tried to supply his wants
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

The psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior;
We did not understand his motivation
He acted with the best of motives
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

A state of extreme poverty or destitution;
Their indigence appalled him
A general state of need exists among the homeless
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

Require as useful, just, or proper;
It takes nerve to do what she did
Success usually requires hard work
This job asks a lot of patience and skill
This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice
This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert
This intervention does not postulates a patient's consent
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Need

Have need of;
This piano wants the attention of a competent tuner
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

Have or feel a need for;
Always needing friends and money
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Oct 19, 2023

Need

A requirement necessary for survival or well-being.
Water is a basic need for all living beings.
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Nov 26, 2023

Need

A desire or wish for something to happen or be done.
He expressed a need to travel and see the world.
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Nov 26, 2023

Repeatedly Asked Queries

What does 'need' mean?

A requirement necessary for well-being or survival.
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Dec 05, 2023

Can 'need' be used as a verb?

Yes, 'need' can function as a verb.
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Dec 05, 2023

Are 'needs' always physical?

No, 'needs' can be emotional, social, or physical.
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What are 'needs'?

Multiple essential requirements or necessities.
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Dec 05, 2023

What is an example of a basic need?

Food and water are basic needs.
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Can 'needs' vary from person to person?

Yes, individuals have different needs.
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Dec 05, 2023

How is 'need' used in a sentence as a verb?

"I need to finish my work."
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Dec 05, 2023

How do 'needs' affect lifestyle?

Needs influence decisions and priorities.
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Dec 05, 2023

Is 'need' related to urgency?

Yes, 'need' often implies urgency.
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Dec 05, 2023

What is a social need?

A requirement for interaction and community.
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Dec 05, 2023

How is 'need' used in business?

As in "identifying customer needs."
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Dec 05, 2023

What is a need in economics?

A necessity for survival or basic functioning.
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Is there a hierarchy of needs?

Yes, as proposed in Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
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Dec 05, 2023

What are examples of human needs?

Examples include love, security, and belonging.
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Dec 05, 2023

Can 'needs' be subjective?

Yes, what one person needs can be subjective.
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Dec 05, 2023

How does culture influence needs?

Cultural values can shape what is considered a need.
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Dec 05, 2023

Can a need become a want?

Yes, as circumstances change, needs can become wants.
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Dec 05, 2023

What is a psychological need?

A requirement for mental well-being, like self-esteem.
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How do needs change over time?

Needs can evolve with age, situation, and context.
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Dec 05, 2023

Can needs be prioritized?

Yes, some needs are more urgent than others.
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Dec 05, 2023

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Shumaila Saeed
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Shumaila Saeed
Shumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.

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