absolutely must be

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "absolutely must be" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize the necessity or urgency of a particular action or condition. Example: "The report absolutely must be submitted by the end of the day to meet the deadline."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

At least one of these two things absolutely must be true for a team to be better than its competition.

The New York Times

My main interest here is carving out an exception for the charitable-giving deduction, which absolutely must be preserved.

The New York Times

"I think this absolutely must be done and will be done," Laurent Fabius, France's finance minister, said today.

The New York Times

And, the report says, something absolutely must be done to pep up dreary places like 100 Centre Street.

The New York Times

But a new research report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (yes! Box-wine research!) reveals that it absolutely must be kept cool enough, in storage.

The New York Times

The weary-looking Market Place stretch, he insists, is "the hole in the doughnut" that absolutely must be redone to make the urban whole palatable to investors.

The New York Times

But one morning in Lincoln Cathedral, a docent approached me with a list of three nearby Lincolnshire churches that, she said, absolutely must be seen.

The New York Times - Travel

"Since they have no data themselves but are just making judgments based on their expertise, they absolutely must be impartial or it undermines the whole enterprise".

The New York Times

"This blatant disregard by administration officials to push their job-crushing moratorium on the people of the Gulf Coast absolutely must be further investigation," Mr. Vitter said in a statement.

The New York Times

The Vagenda takes endless snipes at headlines such as "The seven kinds of orgasm that you absolutely must be having right now", and mocks magazines' endorsements of ludicrous products from semen facials to caffeine-infused tights.

Independent

But you absolutely must be sure all "push" functions and automatic downloads are off, so your phone is not automatically downloading your email or updating your news sites when you activate data roaming to translate.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "absolutely must be" to convey a sense of urgency or critical importance; avoid overusing it to maintain its impact.

Common error

Avoid using "absolutely must be" in overly casual or informal settings, as its strong emphasis can sound out of place or overly dramatic.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "absolutely must be" functions as a modal verb phrase to express strong necessity or obligation. Ludwig's examples demonstrate its use in asserting that something is essential or indispensable.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

62%

Science

19%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Wiki

8%

Huffington Post

3%

eLife

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "absolutely must be" is a modal verb phrase used to express a strong sense of necessity or obligation. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage across various contexts, particularly in News & Media. While versatile, it's important to consider the register and avoid overuse in informal settings. Alternatives like "definitely has to be" or "is required to be" can provide a more nuanced expression depending on the intended emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

definitely has to be

Emphasizes the sureness of the obligation, using "has to" instead of "must".

certainly needs to be

Highlights the requirement as a definite need, softening the absolute tone.

undoubtedly should be

Indicates a strong suggestion, lessening the force of "must" with "should".

imperatively has to be

Emphasizes the mandatory aspect, though using a less common adverb.

absolutely is required to be

Replaces "must be" with a more formal phrasing using "is required".

without question must be

Adds emphasis by indicating the lack of doubt about the necessity.

categorically must be

Highlights the absence of exceptions to the necessity.

positively has to be

Expresses the requirement with a more affirmative tone.

unquestionably needs to be

Similar to "without question", stresses the indisputable nature of the need.

assuredly should be

Conveys confidence in the appropriateness or necessity.

FAQs

How can I use "absolutely must be" in a sentence?

Use "absolutely must be" to emphasize the necessity of a certain condition or action. For example, "The project "absolutely must be" completed by Friday".

What are some alternatives to "absolutely must be"?

Alternatives include "definitely has to be", "certainly needs to be", or "is required to be" depending on the context.

Is "absolutely must be" too strong for professional writing?

While generally acceptable, consider the specific context. More formal alternatives like "is required to be" or "needs to be" might be more suitable in some professional settings.

Can "absolutely must be" be used interchangeably with "should be"?

No, "absolutely must be" conveys a stronger degree of necessity than "should be". "Should be" indicates a recommendation, while "absolutely must be" indicates a requirement.