hierarchy of needs

n. An ordering of human needs according to their relative importance to human beings suggested by Abraham Maslow. In this hierarchy physical needs such as oxygen, warmth, water, and food are most important. Second are needs for safety. Third are needs for social connection. Fourth are needs for self- and social esteem. Fifth and last is a set of growth needs, which vary unpredictably from one individual to the next and frequently include beauty, harmony, knowledge, and order. When one level of needs is satisfied, the next level begins to have the same urgency, as do lower needs when they are unsatisfied. So when the lower four levels of needs are satisfied, the growth needs can be just as compelling as are the needs for food or shelter when they are not fulfilled.