present tense and past tense, all persons must
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
archaic
: to be obliged to go
I must to Coventry—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare1
: an imperative need or duty : requirement
2
: an indispensable item : essential
exercise is a must
: the expressed juice of fruit and especially grapes before and during fermentation
also
: the pulp and skins of the crushed grapes
1
: musk
2
Synonyms
Examples of must in a Sentence
Verb
we must be quiet during the performance
Noun (1)
exercise is a must if you want to stay healthy
Recent Examples on the Web
Al Kingsley, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
While in the Riviera Nayarit, renting a yacht for the day is a must.
—Zachary Rabinor, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024
Depth is a must, as the team currently has Rush and Trey Lance as the only viable options right now.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Over opposition from builders, Morgan Hill city council approved a sharp hike in fees for developers, saying covering cost was a must with a declining budget.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for must 
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Noun
But to continue to ride that wave, maintaining our skills and expanding our capabilities is a must.
—Al Kingsley, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
While in the Riviera Nayarit, renting a yacht for the day is a must.
—Zachary Rabinor, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024
Depth is a must, as the team currently has Rush and Trey Lance as the only viable options right now.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Over opposition from builders, Morgan Hill city council approved a sharp hike in fees for developers, saying covering cost was a must with a declining budget.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for must
Dictionary Entries Near must
Cite this Entry
“Must.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/must. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
must
1 of 2 helping verb
məs(t) 
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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