needful
part of speech
adjective (needful — old-fashioned); noun (the needful — informal)
meaning for a pupil
1) (old-fashioned, formal) Needed or necessary. tree →
2) (informal, UK) The needful is what is needed, often money: Dad will provide the needful. tree →
3) (Indian English) Do the needful means do what is necessary; many English speakers elsewhere find it old-fashioned. tree →
sense in the lessons
In old books and the Bible, needful means necessary: one thing is needful. In everyday talk, it is rare; children are more likely to say needed or necessary. In emails in India and some other places, please do the needful is common. Phrases: do the needful, the needful.
examples
- And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure-house. (Writings EZR.7.20, JPS 1917) tree →
- Take only what is needful for the journey. tree →
- In the Bible, Jesus told Martha that one thing is needful. tree →
- Mum said she'd do the needful and pay for the trip. tree →
- Please do the needful and send the form. tree →
- Water and food are needful for life. tree →
- He packed the needful things in a small bag. tree →
- Meanwhile, I will do what is needful here. tree →
note
Old-fashioned; in school writing, use necessary or needed. Not the same as needy (poor or wanting attention).
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «needful» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.