if needs be

English

Alternative forms

• if need be

Pronunciation

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Adverb

if needs be (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) If need be; if there is a need.
   • April 20, 1964, Nelson Mandela, speech at trial

     I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.