necessity knows no law

English

Proverb

necessity knows no law

1. A person who is in great need of something will find a way to obtain it, and violate the law if needed.

   necessity knows no law, there is no pity and no mercy in war

   • 1919, Boris Sidis, The Source and Aim of Human Progress:

     "Necessity knows no law."

Synonyms

• needs must when the devil drives

Translations

a person who is in great need of something will find a way to get it, and break the law if needed

• Dutch: nood breekt wet
• Finnish: hätä ei lue lakia
• French: nécessité fait loi (fr)
• German: Not kennt kein Gesetz, Not kennt kein Gebot (de), Not bricht Gebot
• Hungarian: nagy úr a muszáj, szükség törvényt bont
• Polish: tonący brzytwy się chwyta (pl) (roughly)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can
• Swedish: nöden har ingen lag

See also

• desperate times call for desperate measures
• all is fair in love and war