Meaning & use
necessary
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Needed for something to happen or work, so it cannot be left out.
Grammar: Often followed by for or to: necessary for success; it is necessary to wait.
Patterns
- necessary for something
- necessary to do something
- it is necessary that someone does something
Water is necessary for plants to grow.
It is necessary to book a table in advance.
Please bring the necessary documents to the interview.
adjectivebefore a nounformal
Following unavoidably from earlier facts, so that it could not be otherwise.
Grammar: Used in logic and philosophy: a necessary consequence.
Patterns
- a necessary consequence of something
Higher prices are a necessary result of rising costs.
He argued that a necessary link exists between the two events.
Failure was not a necessary outcome of the plan.
Word forms
| comparative | more necessary |
|---|---|
| superlative | most necessary |
Common combinations
- absolutely necessary
- It is absolutely necessary to wear a helmet.
- if necessary
- Call me at night if necessary.
- strictly necessary
- Only strictly necessary expenses were approved.
- take the necessary steps
- The school took the necessary steps to improve safety.
- a necessary evil
- Paying taxes is a necessary evil for most people.
Synonyms and how they differ
- essential
- Essential is stronger and suggests something is the central part of a thing.
- required
- Required usually comes from a rule or a person, while necessary can come from circumstances.
- vital
- Vital adds urgency, often implying life or success depends on it.
- needed
- Needed is simpler and less formal, and works for everyday wants.
Opposites
Word family
- necessarily adverb
- as a certain result
- necessity noun
- something you cannot do without
- necessitate verb
- to make something needed
- unnecessary adjective
- not needed
Commonly confused: necessary or necessarily?
necessary vs necessarily
Necessarily is the adverb and commonly appears in the phrase not necessarily, meaning not always.
Practice
It is not ____ to bring your own tools; the workshop provides them.
Choose one answer.
After is not a form is needed, so the adjective necessary fits. Necessarily is an adverb, necessity a noun and necessitate a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “necessary”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.