needful, a. (and n.)
(ˈniːdfʊl)
Forms: 2–4 néod-, 2 n{iacu}ed-, (4 nud-), 3–6 ned-, (5 nedde-), 4–6 nede-, Sc. neid(e-, 4–7 neede-, (6 nyd-, nide-, nead-), 4, 6– need-. Also 3–5 -fol, 4–7 -full(e, (5 -ffull).
[f. need n. + -ful.]
1. Of persons: Needy, necessitous. Now rare. a. Used absolutely. (Chiefly as pl.)
| a 1175 Cott. Hom. 217 Heo is..mancenne hiht and hope, richtwisen strenhcþe, and niedfulle frouer. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 9 Gief þe nedfulle, help þe hauelease. 13.. Cursor M. 103 (Gött.), Lady scho is of ledes all,..To nedefull neist on to call. c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶958 If þou may not visite þe needful wiþ þy persone; visite by þy message. c 1440 Jacob's Well 252 Tyl þou forȝyue þine enemyis, & haue pyte on þe nedefull. c 1510 Barclay Mirr. Gd. Manners (1570) D ij, If he haue plentie of riches and treasour He parteth it abrode to nedefull with honour. 1535 Coverdale Ecclus. xxxiv. 21 The bred of the nedefull is the life of the poore. |
b. In attributive or predicative use.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 12852 A nedful wreche here am i hidd. 1387 E.E. Wills (1882) 1 Y be-quethe x.s. to the most nedful men. c 1450 Myrc Festial (E.E.T.S.) 15 He departyd his good yn þre partyes; on to wydows..; anoþyr to þo þat wern pore and nedfull. 1523 Test. Ebor. (Surtees) V. 166 The most nedfull poore people in the said townnes. 1586 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. (1589) 305 After he understood that the saide Nicanor was a needfull fellow..he sent him a rich present. 1631 R. Brathwait Whimzies, Exchange-man 38 Our nicer Dames bestow that upon trifles, which might support a needfull family. 1822 Galt Provost xxx, [To] distribute it in the winter to needful families. |
2. a. Of circumstances, occasions, etc.: Characterized by need, necessity, or straits. Now rare.
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2130 And .vij. oðere [years] sulen after ben, Sori and nedful men sulen is sen. c 1440 Generydes 60 [He] his goodis is redy to purvaye For good people in euery nedefull case. c 1480 Childe of Bristowe 153 in Hazl. E.P.P. I. 116 Thu so sone failest me at my nedeful day. 1540 Bible (Cranmer) Ps. x. 1 Why..hydest [thou] thy face in that neadefull tyme of trouble? 1585–6 Earl of Leicester Corr. (Camden) 190 To recommend to your lordships the nedefull estate of the captains and souldiers here. 1814 Wordsw. White Doe iii. 267 A Cause, which on a needful day Would breed us thousands brave as they. |
† b. Standing in need of something, also ellipt.; requiring to do something. Obs.
| 1432 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 405/1 A place..full nedefull of grete reparation. 1561 T. Hoby tr. Castiglione's Courtyer i. (1577) D j b, A manne woulde weene hee were more meete to teache, than needefull to learne. 1606 N. Riding Rec. I. 52 The highway to be amended and repayred in all places needfull. |
3. a. Requisite, necessary, indispensable. Also const. to or for the person or thing concerned.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter iv. 8 Whet, wyne, and oile..are mast nedful til mannys oise. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. i. 21 Heore nomes beth neodful and nempnen hem I thenke. 1452 in Gross Gild Merch. (1890) II. 66 Statutes nedffull & profytabille for þe sayd bretherhed. 1545 Brinklow Compl. xxiv. (1874) 62 We myght doo any nedeful busynesse vpon the Sunday. 1583 Golding Calvin on Deut. xxxix. 232 Yet is that lesson needfuller than the former. 1612 Woodall Surg. Mate Wks. (1653) 29 It is a needful Emplaster in the Surgeons Chest. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 480 The Fleece..Is dearly sold; but not for needful use. 1742 Young Nt. Th. ix. 483 The winter is as needful as the spring. 1808 Scott Marm. i. xxii, [He is] The needfulest among us all When time hangs heavy in the hall. 1868 E. Edwards Ralegh I. iii. 38 Stern retaliation of this sort was probably seen to be needful. |
b. With complementary infin. clause. Now rare.
| c 1340 Hampole Prose Tr. 22 Occupacion and besynes of the worlde which ar nedefulle to vsen. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xix. 20 Ergo is no name..so nedeful to nempne by nyȝte ne by daye. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 111 They wold take further advisement, what were than nedeful to be done. 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. i. iii. 8 b, Other things also which were necessarye and needfull to be looked unto. |
c. it is needful that or to (with inf.).
| 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 3168 Nedeful it es, Þat sorow war als mykel and na les For ilka syn. a 1400 Pistill of Susan 266 Hit is nedful nou þi names to nempne. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xv. 26 Nocht neidfull is men sowld be dum. 1593 Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, iv. vi. 53 It is more then needfull Forthwith that Edward be pronounced a Traytor. 1657 Sparrow Bk. Com. Prayer (1661) 33 Needful it is that the Church should call upon us for this duty. 1796 H. Hunter tr. St.-Pierre's Stud. Nat. (1799) III. 680 But is it needful to recur to authority when we have that of Nature? 1879 S. C. Bartlett Egypt to Pal. xiii. 295 It is needful to be cautious. |
4. a. the needful, what is necessary or requisite. Esp. in phr. to do the needful.
| 1709 Steele Tatler No. 78 ¶7 If you want any further Particulars..let me know, and per first will advise the needful. 1710 J. Lovett Let. 1 Apr. in M. M. Verney Verney Lett. (1930) I. xii. 210 Waiting on proper persons and doing the needful in all places. 1771 Foote Maid of B. ii. Wks. 1799 II. 224 Lady Cath... Prepare the minister and aw the rest of the tackle...Flint... I will straight set about getting the needful. 1822 M. Edgeworth Let. 27 Jan. (1971) 338, I resolved to write..only 3 or 4 lines just to say the needful. 1831 Scott Jrnl. 24 Apr. (1946) 164 Young Clarkson had already done the needful—that is had bled & blisterd severely, and placed me on a very restrictd diet. |
b. colloq. The necessary funds; money, cash.
| 1774 Foote Cozeners iii. Wks. 1799 II. 187 Mrs. Air... You have the needful? Air. All but five hundred pounds. 1794 Washington in Bulletin N.Y. Publ. Lib. I. 209 As you had acknowledged the receipt of the needful for purchasing the Buck Wh[eat]. 1822 Scott in Lockhart Life (1837) V. 236, I will send the needful when you apprise me of the amount total. 1855 C. Brontë Professor vi, To live I must have ‘the needful’, which I can only get by working. 1891 Daily News 28 Oct. 5/7 A few friends supply the needful, which is about a hundred a year. |
5. n. A necessary thing.
| 1856 H. O. Conant Eng. Bible Transl. ii. (1881) 14 Should the worthy friends..replenish his empty wallet with such needfuls as they could spare. 1865 Mrs. Whitney Gayworthys II. 127 Landy came over early with..a parcel—Say's dress for the Sunday and other needfuls. |