necessity or lack thereof; whether something is needed
Used in formal or written contexts to discuss whether something is required or not, often in decision-making or evaluation settings.
We will consider whether the meeting is necessary.
この書類の提出の要否は、状況によって異なる。
Whether this document needs to be submitted depends on the situation.
Compound of 要 (necessity) and 否 (negation), literally 'necessary or not'.