To provide a needle which is used for a knitting machine and whose selection element can be selected at a high moving rate by the use of a simple means without causing an error.

In a needle for a knitting machine, a depression 11 opened toward the front surface side of a shaft 2 having the front surface side 8 and the back surface side 5 of the needle receives at least a part of a selection element 12 provided with a controllable lifting butt 20 in a state capable of being rotated or revolved with respect to the shaft and in such a state that the lifting butt can be placed at the first position wherein the lifting butt is retreated from the front surface side of the shaft toward the back surface side or at the second position wherein the lifting butt is forward projected from the front surface side. Therein, the needle contains a spring 21 for energizing the selection element so that the lifting butt is placed at one of the first and second places.