Necessary vs. Inevitable — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 7, 2024
Necessary refers to something required or essential for a particular purpose, while inevitable describes an outcome that cannot be avoided or prevented.
Difference Between Necessary and Inevitable
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Necessary pertains to something essential or indispensable for achieving a particular result. Inevitable, on the other hand, implies an outcome that is certain to happen regardless of actions taken.
Necessary situations demand action or resources to accomplish a specific goal, while inevitable situations are bound to occur due to existing conditions, despite any measures taken to prevent them.
Necessary requirements often involve choices or actions, such as meeting deadlines. In contrast, inevitable outcomes happen without choice, like aging or the passage of time.
While necessary actions or items may change based on context, inevitable events are unchanging, following their natural course until they come to pass.
Comparison Chart
Meaning
Required or essential for a specific purpose
Unavoidable and bound to happen
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Control
Can be achieved through specific actions
Occurs regardless of any intervention
Flexibility
Depends on context or changing needs
Does not change based on circumstances
Examples
Deadlines, laws, resources
Aging, death, time passing
Decision Making
Involves choice or deliberate action
Independent of decisions or actions
Compare with Definitions
Necessary
Essential or indispensable for a specific purpose.
Drinking water is necessary for survival in a desert.
Inevitable
Bound to happen and cannot be prevented or avoided.
With the darkening sky, it seemed inevitable that a storm was coming.
Necessary
Something required by laws or rules.
Wearing helmets is necessary for cyclists according to safety regulations.
Inevitable
An unavoidable consequence of prior events.
With dwindling savings, bankruptcy became inevitable.
Necessary
Needed to complete a specific task or objective.
Understanding basic math is necessary for solving this problem.
Inevitable
Describes a fate or outcome that is inescapable.
Aging is inevitable for all living beings.
Necessary
Demands effort or resources to fulfill.
Extra staff was necessary to handle the large number of orders.
Inevitable
Certain to occur due to existing circumstances.
Given his dedication, success was inevitable for the young athlete.
Necessary
Required to achieve a particular result or outcome.
It is necessary to submit the application before the deadline.
Inevitable
A situation with only one possible conclusion.
Despite their best efforts, defeat was inevitable.
Necessary
Needed or required
A contract complete with the necessary signatures.
Conditions necessary to life.
Inevitable
Certain to happen; unavoidable
War was inevitable
Necessary
Unavoidably determined by prior conditions or circumstances; inevitable
The necessary results of overindulgence.
Inevitable
A situation that is unavoidable
By the morning he had accepted the inevitable
Necessary
Logically inevitable
A necessary conclusion.
Inevitable
Impossible to avoid or prevent; certain to happen.
Necessary
Required by obligation, compulsion, or convention
Made the necessary apologies.
Inevitable
Invariably occurring or appearing; predictable
The inevitable changes of the seasons.
Necessary
Something indispensable.
Inevitable
To avoid or prevent.
We were going so fast that the collision was inevitable.
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.
Inevitable
Or always happening.
My outburst met with the inevitable punishment.
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.
Inevitable
Something that is predictable, necessary, or cannot be avoided.
Necessary
(obsolete) Determined, involuntary: acting from compulsion rather than free will.
Inevitable
Not evitable; incapable of being shunned; unavoidable; certain.
It was inevitable; it was necessary; it was planted in the nature of things.
Necessary
A place to do the "necessary" business of urination and defecation: an outhouse or lavatory.
Inevitable
Irresistible.
Necessary
(obsolete) Necessity.
Inevitable
An unavoidable event;
Don't argue with the inevitable
Necessary
Such as must be; impossible to be otherwise; not to be avoided; inevitable.
Death, a necessary end,Will come when it will come.
Inevitable
Incapable of being avoided or prevented;
The inevitable result
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.
Inevitable
Invariably occurring or appearing;
The inevitable changes of the seasons
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.
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.
Necessary
A privy; a water-closet.
Necessary
Such things, in respect to infants, lunatics, and married women, as are requisite for support suitable to station.
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
Necessary
Absolutely essential
Necessary
Unavoidably determined by prior circumstances;
The necessary consequences of one's actions
Common Curiosities
How do "necessary" and "inevitable" relate to planning?
Necessary planning identifies required resources, while inevitable planning considers events that will certainly occur.
Can something be inevitable without being necessary?
Yes, inevitable events, like aging, will occur regardless of whether they are needed or not.
Are there varying degrees of necessity?
Yes, some things are more urgent or essential than others, depending on the situation.
Is "inevitable" often used to describe negative events?
While "inevitable" is commonly used negatively (e.g., death), it can also describe positive outcomes (e.g., promotion).
Can something be necessary but not inevitable?
Yes, something can be required (necessary) for a goal, but the outcome is not guaranteed (inevitable) if it depends on multiple factors.
Does "necessary" always involve a goal or purpose?
Yes, "necessary" implies that something is essential for achieving a specific outcome.
Are "necessary" and "mandatory" synonymous?
Not always. "Mandatory" means required by law or rule, while "necessary" may not always imply an obligation.
Is it possible to prevent an inevitable event?
By definition, an inevitable event cannot be prevented and is certain to happen.
Can something be both necessary and inevitable?
In rare cases, something could be essential (necessary) and certain to occur (inevitable), like meeting a deadline if one continues working.
Is "inevitable" subjective or objective?
It is typically objective, referring to events that are almost universally certain to happen.
Do different cultures view "inevitable" differently?
Different societies may have varying beliefs about what is inevitable, particularly regarding fate or destiny.
Are natural disasters necessary or inevitable?
Natural disasters are inevitable due to natural forces, but not necessary because they are not required for a specific purpose.
Does "necessary" always imply urgency?
Not necessarily. While urgency often exists, it mainly implies importance.
Can the inevitable be postponed?
It can sometimes be delayed, but not indefinitely prevented.
How does inevitability affect decision-making?
It might limit options, leading people to adapt or accept the unavoidable.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
