Contingent vs. Necessary — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 6, 2024
Contingent events depend on specific conditions, while necessary events are universally required and inevitable.
Difference Between Contingent and Necessary
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Contingent events or truths are defined by their dependency on certain conditions or circumstances; they could happen, but might not, depending on various factors. On the other hand, necessary events or truths must occur and are unavoidable, regardless of external conditions.
In logic and philosophy, a contingent proposition is true in some possible worlds and false in others, reflecting its conditional nature. Whereas, a necessary proposition is true in all possible worlds, highlighting its fundamental and unchanging truth across all scenarios.
Contingency in the context of law or contracts often refers to a future event that might affect the current standing or action, emphasizing its uncertainty. Necessary, in similar contexts, describes conditions or clauses that are essential for the legal effectiveness or enforcement of an agreement.
When discussing morality, a contingent action's ethical value depends on situational factors or outcomes. Conversely, necessary moral truths or duties are seen as universally binding, independent of context or outcomes.
In natural sciences, contingent facts or theories are based on empirical evidence that could change with new discoveries. Necessary truths in sciences, however, are often tied to mathematical or logical certainties that hold regardless of empirical findings.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Dependent on other events or conditions
Inevitable and universally required
Nature in Logic
True in some possible worlds
True in all possible worlds
Example in Law
Conditional clauses in contracts
Essential terms in agreements
Moral Philosophy
Depends on situations and outcomes
Universally binding, regardless of context
Science
Empirical and changeable
Based on logical or mathematical certainties
Compare with Definitions
Contingent
Dependent on or conditioned by something else.
Winning the lottery is contingent upon buying a ticket.
Necessary
Logically unavoidable.
In mathematics, it is necessary that the sum of the angles in a triangle equals 180 degrees.
Contingent
Not necessarily occurring; possible.
A contingent event might happen if certain conditions are met.
Necessary
Constituting an essential part; indispensable.
A valid passport is necessary for international travel.
Contingent
Arising from chance or uncertain conditions.
Contingent benefits are not guaranteed but possible under specific scenarios.
Necessary
Inevitably occurring; certain.
Death is a necessary end for all living beings.
Contingent
In law, depending on fulfillment of specified conditions in a contract.
Payment is contingent upon the completion of the project.
Necessary
In philosophy, true in all possible worlds.
All bachelors are unmarried is a necessary truth.
Contingent
In philosophy, not logically necessary; possibly false.
The existence of life on other planets is a contingent fact.
Necessary
Required; needed to achieve a certain result or effect.
Water is necessary for life.
Contingent
Subject to chance
The contingent nature of the job
Necessary
Needed or required
A contract complete with the necessary signatures.
Conditions necessary to life.
Contingent
Occurring or existing only if (certain circumstances) are the case; dependent on
His fees were contingent on the success of his search
Necessary
Unavoidably determined by prior conditions or circumstances; inevitable
The necessary results of overindulgence.
Contingent
A group of people sharing a common feature, forming part of a larger group
A contingent of Japanese businessmen attending a conference
Necessary
Logically inevitable
A necessary conclusion.
Contingent
Liable but not certain to occur; possible
"All salaries are reckoned on contingent as well as on actual services" (Ralph Waldo Emerson).
Necessary
Required by obligation, compulsion, or convention
Made the necessary apologies.
Contingent
Dependent on other conditions or circumstances; conditional
Arms sales contingent on the approval of Congress.
Necessary
Something indispensable.
Contingent
Happening by or subject to chance or accident; unpredictable
Contingent developments that jeopardized the negotiations.
Necessary
Required, essential, whether logically inescapable or needed in order to achieve a desired result or avoid some penalty.
Although I wished to think that all was false, it was yet necessary that I, who thus thought, must in some sense exist.
It is absolutely necessary that you call and confirm your appointment.
Contingent
(Logic) True only under certain conditions; not necessarily or universally true
A contingent proposition.
Necessary
Unavoidable, inevitable.
If it is absolutely necessary to use public computers, you should plan ahead and forward your e-mail to a temporary, disposable account.
Contingent
A group or detachment, as of troops or police, assigned to aid a larger force.
Necessary
(obsolete) Determined, involuntary: acting from compulsion rather than free will.
Contingent
A representative group that is selected from or part of a larger group.
Necessary
A place to do the "necessary" business of urination and defecation: an outhouse or lavatory.
Contingent
An event or condition that is likely but not inevitable.
Necessary
(obsolete) Necessity.
Contingent
An event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something future.
Necessary
Such as must be; impossible to be otherwise; not to be avoided; inevitable.
Death, a necessary end,Will come when it will come.
Contingent
That which falls to one in a division or apportionment among a number; a suitable share.
Necessary
Impossible to be otherwise, or to be dispensed with, without preventing the attainment of a desired result; indispensable; requisite; essential.
A certain kind of temper is necessary to the pleasure and quiet of our minds.
Contingent
(military) A quota of troops.
Necessary
Acting from necessity or compulsion; involuntary; - opposed to free; as, whether man is a necessary or a free agent is a question much discussed.
Contingent
Possible or liable, but not certain to occur.
Necessary
A thing that is necessary or indispensable to some purpose; something that one can not do without; a requisite; an essential; - used chiefly in the plural; as, the necessaries of life.
Contingent
(with upon or on) Dependent on something that is undetermined or unknown, that may or may not occur.
The success of his undertaking is contingent upon events which he cannot control.
A contingent estate
Necessary
A privy; a water-closet.
Contingent
Not logically necessarily true or false.
Necessary
Such things, in respect to infants, lunatics, and married women, as are requisite for support suitable to station.
Contingent
Temporary.
Contingent labor
Contingent worker
Necessary
Anything indispensable;
Food and shelter are necessities of life
The essentials of the good life
Allow farmers to buy their requirements under favorable conditions
A place where the requisites of water fuel and fodder can be obtained
Contingent
Possible, or liable, but not certain, to occur; incidental; casual.
Weighing so much actual crime against so much contingent advantage.
Necessary
Absolutely essential
Contingent
Dependent on that which is undetermined or unknown; as, the success of his undertaking is contingent upon events which he can not control.
Necessary
Unavoidably determined by prior circumstances;
The necessary consequences of one's actions
Contingent
Dependent for effect on something that may or may not occur; as, a contingent estate.
If a contingent legacy be left to any one when he attains, or if he attains, the age of twenty-one.
Contingent
An event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something future; a contingency.
His understanding could almost pierce into future contingents.
Contingent
That which falls to one in a division or apportionment among a number; a suitable share; proportion; esp., a quota of troops.
From the Alps to the border of Flanders, contingents were required . . . 200,000 men were in arms.
Contingent
A gathering of persons representative of some larger group;
Each nation sent a contingent of athletes to the Olympics
Contingent
A temporary military unit;
The peace-keeping force includes one British contingent
Contingent
Possible but not certain to occur;
They had to plan for contingent expenses
Contingent
Determined by conditions or circumstances not yet established;
Arms sales contingent on the approval of congress
Contingent
Uncertain because of uncontrollable circumstances;
The results of confession were not contingent, they were certain
Common Curiosities
How do necessary and contingent events influence decision making?
Necessary events are planned around as certainties, while contingent events require flexibility and consideration of alternatives.
How does the concept of necessity affect ethical obligations?
Necessary ethical obligations are viewed as binding across all situations, without exception.
Can something be both contingent and necessary?
Typically, no. Contingent implies dependence on other factors, whereas necessary denotes inevitability.
How do contingent truths differ in various disciplines?
In philosophy, contingent truths could be false under different circumstances, while in natural sciences, they are subject to empirical verification.
Are moral truths contingent or necessary?
Some philosophers argue that moral truths are necessary, while others see them as contingent on cultural or individual factors.
What is a contingent event?
A contingent event depends on specific conditions to occur.
What role do contingent and necessary conditions play in contract law?
Contingent conditions specify actions based on uncertain future events, whereas necessary conditions are fundamental for the contract's validity.
What defines a necessary condition?
A necessary condition is something that must be present for a particular event or result to occur.
What is an example of a necessary truth in logic?
In logic, a statement like "All bachelors are unmarried" is necessarily true.
Is the law of gravity a necessary or contingent fact?
The law of gravity is considered a necessary fact.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
