necessitarian

9.9

A person who believes all actions are fixed by earlier events, not by free choice

noun
/nəˈsɛsɪˌtɛrɪən/

Formal

: necesitarista

You can't have everything unless you are a necessitarian like Spinoza or a modal realist like David Lewis.

Examples

Many necessitarians emphasize that our decisions are shaped by factors beyond our control.
As a necessitarian, she believes that every choice is predetermined by prior conditions.
The philosopher argued that a necessitarian perspective eliminates the concept of true freedom.

Synonyms

fatalist

vsnecessitarian

3 7.9

A person who believes events are already decided and cannot be changed

focuses on necessity as the reason for lack of choice, not acceptance

determinist

vsnecessitarian

Specialized

2 8.8

A person who believes everything, even our choices, is caused by earlier events

views human actions as compelled by necessity, denying any real choice

predestinationist

vsnecessitarian

9.9

A person who believes God already decided their future

centers on necessity as the cause of actions rather than divine planning

predestinarian

vsnecessitarian

Formal

9.9

A person who believes God decides who will be saved and people cannot change it

is broader, denying free choice based on necessity not only divine decision

Antonyms

libertarian

Formal

3 8.3

A person who believes people freely choose their actions and are not controlled by outside forces

Surface Forms

necessitarian singular

necessitarians plural

Morphology

necessitarian = necessity (transparent) = necessit + arian

Formed from the notion of 'necessity' with the productive suffix '-arian' meaning 'person who supports or is concerned with', so the sense is directly derivable.

Etymology

Necessitarian comes from necessity, meaning 'need' or 'something that must happen', plus the ending -arian, which marks a person with a belief. So a necessitarian is someone who believes actions 'happen because they must' rather than by free choice.