# What does ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ mean?

To “necessity is the mother of invention” means to need drives creativity. The saying appears in various forms in classical writers; Brewer's includes it among the classical maxims familiar in English.

## What it means

- The saying appears in various forms in classical writers; Brewer's includes it among the classical maxims familiar in English.

## Action steps

1. Common comment on improvised solutions.
2. Example: During the shortage they built their own — necessity is the mother of invention.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

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