not necessarily
idiom
: possibly but not certainly
—used to say that something is not definitely true
Seats in the front row are not necessarily the best.
"We're going to lose this game." "Not necessarily."
Examples of not necessarily in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
However, taking a huge amount of CFU is not necessarily safe or effective.
—
Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 27 Nov. 2025
That’s on the low end for premium credit cards with airport lounge access, making this card one of the most affordable ways to get unlimited lounge access for yourself (but not necessarily your guests, after January 2026).
—Raina He, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2025
Searching for goods on Amazon or other online retailers yields results of a kind, but not necessarily the right ones.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
At this time of year, my first order of business is turkey and dressing, not necessarily in that order.
—Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not necessarily
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Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 27 Nov. 2025
That’s on the low end for premium credit cards with airport lounge access, making this card one of the most affordable ways to get unlimited lounge access for yourself (but not necessarily your guests, after January 2026).
—Raina He, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2025
Searching for goods on Amazon or other online retailers yields results of a kind, but not necessarily the right ones.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
At this time of year, my first order of business is turkey and dressing, not necessarily in that order.
—Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not necessarily
Cite this Entry
“Not necessarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20necessarily. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.
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