The meaning of MUST is be commanded or requested to. How to use must in a sentence.

We usually use must to talk about obligations which come from the speaker and we generally use have (got) to when we refer to obligations that come from outside the speaker. …

MUST definition: to be obliged or bound to by an imperative requirement. See examples of must used in a sentence.

1. used as an auxiliary to express obligation or compulsion: you must pay your dues. In this sense, must does not form a negative. If used with a negative infinitive it indicates obligatory prohibition.

You use must to indicate that it is necessary for something to happen, usually because of a rule or law. Candidates must satisfy the general conditions for admission. Mr Allen must pay Mr Farnham's legal …

Anything that is required is a must: drinking enough water is a must for being healthy. When you adopt a new dog, making sure he'll get along with your cat is a must.

Dec 14, 2025 · Must is unusual in its negation: must not still expresses a definite certainty or requirement. Need and have to, on the other hand, are negated in the usual manner.

to be compelled to in order to fulfill some need or achieve an aim: We must hurry if we're to arrive on time. to be forced to, as by convention or the requirements of honesty: I must say, that is a lovely hat.

Definition of must modal verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

MUST meaning: 1 : used to say that something is required or necessary; 2 : used to say that something is required by a rule or law