if need be vs if necessary

Both 'if need be' and 'if necessary' are correct phrases in English, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'If necessary' is more commonly used and is considered more formal, while 'if need be' is less common and slightly more formal. The choice between the two depends on the level of formality you want to convey.

Last updated: April 24, 2024 • 170 views

if need be

This phrase is correct but less common than 'if necessary'. It is used to express the condition of something being required or essential.

This phrase is used to indicate that something may be required or essential under certain circumstances. It is slightly more formal and less common than 'if necessary'.

Examples:

I will bring an umbrella if need be.
We can reschedule the meeting if need be.

Show examples from the web [+]

The whole winter, if need be.
I'm sure Miss Markham could arrange something, if need be.
Tina mentioned that the producers would also manufacture conflict if need be.
We can close it just as quick, if need be.
I will start the wave if need be.
I will start the wave if need be.
But, if need be, we can easily wipe him out.
A cavalry escort can be arranged if need be.
We can survive for years, if need be.
By the hair, if need be.
Against the world, if need be.
Spores can remain dormant for years if need be.
I will forcibly remove you if need be, sir.
Do not hesitate to invest in a licensed antimalware tool if need be.
MetaLine Series 500/700 coatings may be applied, if need be, with haptic grip features.
The criteria can be revised, if need be.
The Commission shall, if need be, propose appropriate measures.
They may be reapplied if need be.
I want to add that safeguard clauses and continued monitoring can address certain sectoral shortcomings if need be.
This date could be reviewed if need be.

Alternatives:

if necessary
if required
if needed
if essential
if indispensable

if necessary

This phrase is correct and more commonly used than 'if need be'. It is used to indicate that something is required or essential under certain circumstances.

This phrase is used to indicate that something is required or essential under certain circumstances. It is considered more common and formal than 'if need be'.

Examples:

Please call me if necessary.
We will provide additional support if necessary.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 25, 2024

The meaning of IF NECESSARY is if it is needed. How to use if necessary in a sentence.
Aug 8, 2022 ... Violently if necessary states "After combat: Deal 2 damage to each opposing fighter on or adjacent to a space with an insight token."
Jul 2, 2018 ... Walking the Planet on Chocolate (and If Necessary, Vanilla). Tests are in: Ice cream is the ideal nomad food. Out of Eden Walk. 17. Share this ...
Aug 22, 2022 ... Is 'What If?' necessary MCU viewing? Film/Television.
Apr 18, 2018 ... Gerrit uses "Merge if Necessary" strategy in Gerrit, which allows changes to be merged even if they aren't rebased.
Feb 17, 2024 ... I think it should be the default that all deployments reboot if necessary, instead of the current default which is “Supress”
Aug 24, 2021 ... libs: LibrariesForLibs' can't be called in this context by implicit receiver. Use the explicit one if necessary" #18107. Closed.
Aug 6, 2012 ... I'd like to round at most two decimal places, but only if necessary. Input: 10 1.7777777 9.1. Output: 10 1.78 9.1. How can I do this in ...
Feb 26, 2021 ... The email domain does not match the associated domain of the account, please contact Zoom Customer Support to set up if necessary · API and ...
Oct 11, 2013 ... ... if necessary, use words.” – St. Francis of Assisi. Seems like a good quote – it sounds pretty spiritual, and you definitely get extra points ...

Alternatives:

if needed
if required
if essential
if indispensable
if need be

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023