necessary evil

Something bad that must exist or occur in order for something good to happen. These days, student loans are a necessary evil in order to get an education that leads to a well-paying job. Some view dictators as a necessary evil who keep the region stable by suppressing more radical elements.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Ellsworth	['elzwə:θ]
Nicolau	nee-koo-LOW (Portuguese)	Portuguese, Galician, Catalan
Conroy	['kɔnrɔi]
Gifford	['gifəd]
Erasyl	-	Kazakh
Erkki	ERK-kee	Finnish