necessarily

necessarily — adverb

1. when used with 'not', this word shows that a claim is not always true or does no

1.adverbB1
Definition

when used with 'not', this word shows that a claim is not always true or does not apply in every situation; in affirmative statements, it indicates that something must happen as an unavoidable consequence.

Example

Tuan is quite tall, but taller players are not necessarily better at basketball.

not necessarily + comparative adjective

Having a degree does not necessarily mean you will find a good job quickly.

not necessarily + mean (common collocation)

Common collocations
  • not necessarily
  • necessarily mean
  • necessarily imply
  • necessarily follow
  • necessarily result in
Synonyms
  • inevitably

    Stronger than 'necessarily'; suggests a result that is certain and cannot be avoided, while 'necessarily' allows for exceptions.

  • unavoidably

    Focuses on impossibility of prevention; 'necessarily' is broader and also covers logical consequence.

  • of course

    Informal alternative for the affirmative sense; 'of course' assumes common knowledge rather than logical necessity.

Antonyms
  • possibly

    Expresses chance rather than necessity; directly opposite in meaning.

  • conceivably

    Suggests something could be true, the opposite of a necessary truth.

Grammar Patterns

not necessarily + verb

not necessarily + adjective

necessarily + verb (affirmative)

Usage Note

Necessarily is most common in negative statements with 'not'. In affirmative statements, it carries a formal or academic tone. Learners should avoid using 'necessarily' alone in a simple affirmative sentence where 'certainly' or 'definitely' would be more natural — for instance, say 'She will certainly arrive on time' rather than 'She will necessarily arrive on time.' The negative pattern (not necessarily) is the structure you will hear in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

Rich people are necessarily happy.
Rich people are not necessarily happy.
In most everyday contexts, 'necessarily' sounds unnatural without a negative.
It necessarily rains a lot in London.
It rains a lot in London.' or 'It does not necessarily rain every day in London.
Using 'necessarily' in a plain factual statement without a negative sounds awkward or overly formal.
Not necessarily he is wrong.
He is not necessarily wrong.
'Not necessarily' must come after the verb 'be' or an auxiliary verb, not before the subject.
Idioms

not necessarily

idiom

Used to indicate that something may be true in some cases but is not always or certainly true.

A higher price does not necessarily mean better quality.

Does studying more hours necessarily lead to higher grades?

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words express that something happens as a necessary result, but they differ in strength and register. 'Inevitably' is the strongest — it suggests that the outcome is certain and nothing can stop it ("If you skip practice, you will inevitably fall behind"). 'Unavoidably' focuses on the impossibility of prevention rather than logical certainty, and is less common in everyday speech. 'Perforce' is a rare, literary word meaning 'because of necessity' and should be avoided by learners except in formal writing. 'Of course' is the informal, conversational alternative for the affirmative sense, but it implies common knowledge rather than logical inevitability ("Of course it will rain — it always does in April"). 'Necessarily' sits between these: it covers both logical consequence and unavoidable result, and unlike the others, it is overwhelmingly used in the negative ('not necessarily') in daily conversation.

inevitably ↗unavoidably ↗perforceof course ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed by adding the suffix '-ly' to 'necessary'. 'Necessary' comes via French from Latin 'necessarius', meaning 'unavoidable' or 'indispensable'. The Latin root breaks into 'ne-' (meaning 'not') and 'cess-' (meaning 'give way, yield'), which together convey the sense of 'not yielding' or 'unavoidable'. The word entered English in the 14th century and developed its characteristic use with negatives (not necessarily) over the following centuries.