necessarily

[ nes-uh-sair-uh-lee, -ser- ]

adverb

1. by or of necessity; as a matter of compulsion or requirement:

   You don't necessarily have to attend.

2. as a necessary, logical, or inevitable result:

   That conclusion doesn't necessarily follow.

necessarily

/ ˌnɛsɪˈsɛrɪlɪ; ˈnɛsɪsərɪlɪ /

adverb

1. as an inevitable or natural consequence

   girls do not necessarily like dolls

2. as a certainty

   he won't necessarily come

Word History and Origins

Origin of necessarily¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; necessary, -ly

Example Sentences

The end result could also be that specific companies or categories are affected, but not necessarily to the detriment of most U.S. consumers.

From Salon

“I could feel it when I went into my classroom,” said the professor, whose research has found that people with political anxiety aren’t necessarily anxious in general.

From Los Angeles Times

While these reports do not necessarily translate to control of an area, it is indicative of how stretched Ukraine’s defensive line has become.

From BBC

It comes as Elon Musk, via his quasi-governmental Department of Government Efficiency, is promising massive cuts in federal spending, which would necessarily be at the expense of those who rely on social programs.

From Salon

The cumulative total over the years does not necessarily refer to individual pensioners, who could move in and out of relative poverty over time depending on their personal circumstances.

From BBC

Related Words

• automatically
• naturally
• no doubt
• undoubtedly
• unquestionably