a state of extreme poverty
"After losing his job and home, he was so desperate for money that nothing could satisfy his want."
the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
"there is a serious lack of insight into the problem"
"water is the critical deficiency in desert regions"
"for want of a nail the shoe was lost"
A desire, wish, longing.
"The gardener tried to chase away the badger, but it was actually a want that had burrowed under his prize roses."
A mole (Talpa europea).
In plain English: A want is something you really desire but do not strictly need to survive.
"The job comes with all the benefits, but there is no way to increase my pay to meet my basic want for security."
hunt or look for; want for a particular reason
"Your former neighbor is wanted by the FBI"
"Uncle Sam wants you"
be without, lack; be deficient in
"want courtesy"
"want the strength to go on living"
"flood victims wanting food and shelter"
To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave or demand.
"After running all day, I really want a cold glass of lemonade more than anything else."
In plain English: To want is to really desire something so much that you wish for it right now.
"I really want to see that movie tonight."
Usage: Use the verb want to express a simple, direct desire rather than an emotional longing that might be better conveyed by yearn or crave. Avoid using it in formal contexts where prefer or would like sounds more polite and appropriate.
A personification of want.
"The hungry city seemed to have a voracious appetite, as if Want itself had risen from the ashes to devour every scrap of charity it could find."
The word "want" comes from the Old Norse verb vanta, meaning "to lack," which entered Middle English with the same sense of needing or being without something. Its roots trace back to Proto-Indo-European h₁weh₂-, signifying "empty."