necessary

 
Pronunciation: /ˈnɛsəs(ə)ri/

adjective

  • 1needed to be done, achieved, or present; essential: they granted the necessary planning permission it’s not necessary for you to be here
  • 2determined, existing, or happening by natural laws or predestination; inevitable: a necessary consequence
  • Philosophy (of a concept, statement, etc.) inevitably resulting from the nature of things, so that the contrary is impossible.
  • Philosophy (of an agent) having no independent volition.

noun

(usually necessaries)
  • the basic requirements of life, such as food and warmth: not merely luxuries, but also the common necessaries poor people complaining for want of the necessaries of life
  • (the necessary) informal the action or item needed: see when they need a tactful word of advice and do the necessary
  • (the necessary) British informal the money needed: a bag containing my wallet: the money, the necessary

Phrases

a necessary evil

something that is undesirable but must be accepted: for many, paying taxes is at best a necessary evil

Origin:

late Middle English: from Latin necessarius, from necesse 'be needful'

Spelling help

Remember that necessary and the related word necessity are spelled with one c and a double s.

it’s necessary to cut some services.