necessary evil
14
5.4
- noun
- /ˈnɛsəˌsɛri ˈiːvəl/
- Informal
:
mal necesario
- U.S. President Jimmy Carter once said, "War may sometimes be a necessary evil."
- a necessary evil for the greater good
And as a necessary evil, we have a military, a group of, of specialists who study and wage wars for us.
- And as a necessary evil, we have a military, a group of, of specialists who study and wage wars for us.
- They see that as A and necessary evil to to allow them to keep whatever it is that they want.
Examples
-
At the time, many observers asserted that Menem's political style was a necessary evil to confront the economic crisis.
Academic text (1998) -
Amy found little value in learning as she viewed college as a necessary evil for her career goals.
Academic text (2008) -
Government is considered a necessary evil, one to be kept small.
Academic text (2010) -
Indeed, our founders believed government was a necessary evil, but still necessary to direct national defense.
Blog text (9) -
Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.
Blog text (21) -
The post-Enron era has elevated internal probes from a necessary evil to a way of life in the business world.
Academic text (2003) -
Hence, the protectionist steps were necessary evils for achieving the greater goals.
Academic text (2002) -
Changes on the economic front have been justified as necessary evils to secure economic survival without loosening political control.
Academic text (1997) -
In fact, some involvement in gambling—whether direct or indirect—seems to be a necessary evil in this city.
Academic text (2012) -
Many employees view mandatory training sessions as a necessary evil to advance their careers.
Synonyms
1
7.2
A treatment that is not helpful or is unpleasant but sometimes needed to make you better
Antonyms
How Necessary
69
3.5
- Informal
14
5.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'necessary' (required) with 'evil' (bad/unpleasant), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a bad or undesirable thing that must be accepted to achieve a better outcome. Although 'evil' is somewhat metaphorical here, the composition is straightforward and many languages have an equivalent expression, making the meaning readily derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
Necessary evil comes from joining necessary — meaning 'needed' — and evil — meaning 'bad' — to make a strong image. Imagine taking a bitter medicine you hate because it makes you well; that's why necessary evil means an unpleasant thing you must accept to get a better result.