must

1 of 4

verb

məs(t),
ˈməst How to pronounce must (audio)
present tense and past tense, all persons must

auxiliary verb

1
a
: be commanded or requested to
you must stop
b
: be urged to : ought by all means to
you must read that book
2
: be compelled by physical necessity to
one must eat to live
: be required by immediate or future need or purpose to
we must hurry to catch the bus
3
a
: be obliged to : be compelled by social considerations to
I must say you're looking well
b
: be required by law, custom, or moral conscience (see conscience sense 1) to
we must obey the rules
c
: be determined to
if you must go at least wait for me
d
: be unreasonably or perversely compelled to
why must you argue
4
: be logically inferred (see infer sense 1) or supposed to
it must be time
5
: be compelled by fate or by natural law to
what must be will be
6
: was or were presumably certain to : was or were bound to
if he did it she must have known
7
dialect : may, shall
used chiefly in questions

intransitive verb

archaic : to be obliged to go
I must to CoventryWilliam Shakespeare

must

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
: an imperative need or duty : requirement
2
: an indispensable item : essential
exercise is a must

must

3 of 4

noun (2)

: the expressed juice of fruit and especially grapes before and during fermentation
also : the pulp and skins of the crushed grapes

must

4 of 4

noun (3)

Examples of must in a Sentence

Verb we must be quiet during the performance
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Brinkley also called regular total body checks a must. Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2024 Needless to say, this is a must for anyone who hates swatting flies away while enjoying the great outdoors. Marilyn La Jeunesse, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Mar. 2024 Because the cheese is melted under a broiler, using ovenproof and broiler-proof bowls is a must. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 8 Mar. 2024 Giving toasts is a must where weddings are concerned. Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2024 Crispy baby spinach and crepe-style dosas with Peruvian purple potatoes and chutney are menu musts. Laura Manske, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 This island institution is a must for a sundowner, with a two-for-one happy hour and live music on Thursday through Sunday evenings. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2024 Communication skills—written and verbal—are a must for a successful career. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 With the weather beginning to warm up, having breathable shoes is a must. Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'must.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (1)

Middle English moste, from Old English mōste, past indicative & subjunctive of mōtan to be allowed to, have to; akin to Old High German muozan to be allowed to, have to

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English, from Latin mustum

Noun (3)

Middle English (Scots) moist, from Middle French must, alteration of musc musk

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (1)

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of must was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near must

Cite this Entry

“Must.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/must. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

must

1 of 2 helping verb
məs(t) How to pronounce must (audio)
ˈməst
present & past all persons must
1
: is commanded, requested, or urged to
the train must stop
you must read that book
2
: is forced, required, or obliged to
leaves must fall
one must eat to live
we must be quiet
3
: is determined to
if you must go
4
: is very likely to
it must be time
must have lost it
5
: is certain to
the bus must be coming

must

2 of 2 noun
: something required or absolutely necessary
new shoes are a must

Medical Definition

must

noun
: the expressed juice of fruit and especially grapes before and during fermentation

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