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

Taking back her power while also recognizing no amount of it or money will necessarily keep herself/her family safe. —Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026

Because those standards focus on reasonableness under the circumstances, an officer can violate departmental policy without necessarily violating the law. —Stephen Martin, Oklahoma Watch, 5 Mar. 2026

Superstars don’t stay relevant by doing what people expect, or even what their fans necessarily want. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026

With Murray’s tape-studying habits an issue in the past, that wouldn’t necessarily be a fit for the culture Miami wants to establish. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 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