Meanings
alternative if needs be
- idiomaticIf necessary; if there is a need.
And I am quite sure that Max Carrados won't walk in here without making it certain that if he doesn't soon come out again the C.I.D. will smash down the door if need be to find out what has happened.
1934, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], The Bravo of London
Origin
Need is a noun, be a subjunctive. Perhaps an alteration of Old English phrases like ġif þearf bēo, literally "if need be". That phrase would have been completely unidiomatic, equivalent to "if a need exists" or "if there is a need". This is because (1) Old English had no indefinite article, (2) the word for "to be" was also the default word for "to exist" and translates the modern phrase "there is", and (3) the subjunctive mood was much more common and often translates the Modern English indicative.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech v případě potřeby
- v případě potřebyif necessary
Danish om nødvendigt
- om nødvendigtif necessary
Dutch desnoods, indien noodzakelijk
- desnoodsif necessary
- indien noodzakelijkif necessary
- desgevallendif necessary
Estonian kui vaja
- kui vajaif necessary
Finnish jos on tarve, jos on pakko
- jos on tarveif necessary
- jos on pakkoif necessary
French si besoin est, si nécessaire
- si besoin estif necessary
- si nécessaireif necessary
- au besoinif necessary
- en cas de besoinif necessary
- s'il fautif necessary
German wenn es sein muss, wenn nötig
- wenn es sein mussif necessary
- wenn nötigif necessary
- notfallsif necessary
- falls nötigif necessary
Hungarian ha szükséges
- ha szükségesif necessary
Italian se ci fosse bisogno
- se ci fosse bisognoif necessary
Persian اگر لازم شد
- اگر لازم شد (agar lāzem shod)if necessary
Polish w razie potrzeby, w razie konieczności
- w razie potrzebyif necessary
- w razie koniecznościif necessary
- jeżeli to konieczneif necessary
- ewentualnieif necessary
- jeśli trzebaif necessary
Portuguese caso necessário (seja), se necessário
- caso necessário (seja)if necessary
- se necessárioif necessary
Russian е́сли пона́добится, в слу́чае необходи́мости
- е́сли пона́добится (jésli ponádobitsja)if necessary
- в слу́чае необходи́мости (v slúčaje neobxodímosti)if necessary
Spanish si es menester
- si es menesterif necessary
Swedish om så krävs, om så behövs
- om så krävsif necessary
- om så behövsif necessary
- om så erfordrasif necessary
- vid behovif necessary
Turkish gerektiğinde
- gerektiğindeif necessary
Cite this entry
if need be. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20need%20be
“if need be.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20need%20be. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “if need be,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20need%20be.
Source: if need be on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.