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 of necessarily

• 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

But his planning doesn’t mean that the tax would survive the courts, and in any case, not every billionaire will necessarily make similar arrangements. — Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

In his view, the peaceful crowds that greeted Machado on Sunday undermined arguments that her return would necessarily provoke unrest. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026

Boy bands are derided for being too accessible, as if something that’s palatable and fun necessarily lacks substance. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026

Experts who developed a consensus statement on postoperative pain management have similarly recommended teaching patients before surgery that a realistic goal is improving function rather than necessarily achieving zero pain. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 26 Oct. 2026

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