necessarily

adverb

nec·​es·​sar·​i·​ly ˌne-sə-ˈser-ə-lē How to pronounce necessarily (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There are ways to avoid getting clattered by this most painful of items without having to necessarily let someone overtake you. Kris Holt, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025 But that also doesn’t mean that copacetic necessarily is the way to go, either. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 7 June 2025 Is Pony Sweat, or any other dance aerobics practice, necessarily cool in the traditional sense of the word? Emma Specter, Vogue, 5 June 2025 No one was necessarily asking for another cinematic universe. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for necessarily

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of necessarily was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Necessarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/necessarily. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

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