This study aimed to explore the mediation effect of search for meaning between absence of meaning and meaning in life, and tested the role of satisfaction of psychological need in this process via two-wave data. The sample consisted of 156 university students. Participants reported absence of meaning, search for meaning and psychological need satisfaction at time 1 and reported meaning in life at time 2. Results indicated that search for meaning played a partial mediating role between absence of meaning and meaning in life, and psychological need satisfaction moderated relationship between meaning thinking and meaning in life. Under low-level of psychological need satisfaction, search for meaning was strongly associated with meaning in life. With increased satisfaction of psychological need, positive effect of search for meaning on meaning in life become insignificant.