necessarily

adverb

nec·​es·​sar·​i·​ly ˌne-sə-ˈser-ə-lē 

1

: of necessity : unavoidably

The audience was necessarily small.

This endeavor necessarily involves some risk.

2

: as a logical result or consequence

… a holocaust is a disaster, but a disaster is not necessarily a holocaust.

—Harry Shaw

Synonyms

• inevitably

Examples of necessarily in a Sentence

the argument that the existence of the universe necessarily implies the existence of an all-powerful being responsible for creating it

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s not something that necessarily comes naturally to me. —Kyle Denis, Billboard, 14 July 2025

As Harvard Business Review explains, those who have historically benefited from being in the majority may perceive DEI as a zero-sum game, fearing that gains for minority groups necessarily mean losses for them. —Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025

The Bulls don’t expect the rookie to be ready for a major role at the start of this season — or, necessarily, even by the end of it. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2025

And if women’s matches spend less time on television screens than men’s matches, especially at the climaxes of the biggest events in the sport, then the men’s game necessarily receives more exposure. —Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 12 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing necessarily

• not necessarily

Rhymes for necessarily

• arbitrarily
• customarily
• militarily
• momentarily
• ordinarily
• secondarily
• temporarily
• voluntarily
• airily
• caroli
• merrily
• verily