adv · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈnɛs.ə.sə.ɹɪ.li/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈnɛs.ə.sɛɹ.li/
General-American:/ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/ˌnes.əˈseɹ.ə.li/
Australian:/ˌnes.əˈseɹ.li/
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:N EH2 S AH0 S EH1 R AH0 L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
Inevitably; of necessity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
It is not necessarily true that children get their morals from their parents.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: needs
Antonyms: none provided
2
adverb
Meaning 2
in such a manner as could not be otherwise
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
it is necessarily so
we must needs by objective
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: inevitably, of necessity, needs
Antonyms: none provided
3
adverb
Meaning 3
in an essential manner
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
such expenses are necessarily incurred
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: needfully
Antonyms: unnecessarily
4
adverb
Meaning 4
as a highly likely consequence
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
we are necessarily bound for federalism in Europe
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English necessary Middle English -ly English -ly English necessarily From necessary + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
63 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
حَتْماً
(ḥatman)
— of necessity
Armenian:
անհրաժեշտաբար
(anhražeštabar)
— of necessity
Bulgarian:
непременно
(nepremenno)
— of necessity
Bulgarian:
по необходимост
(po neobhodimost)
— of necessity
Catalan:
necessàriament
— of necessity
Chinese Mandarin:
必然地
(bìrán de)
— of necessity
Chinese Mandarin:
必定地
(bìdìng de)
— of necessity
Dutch:
nodig
— of necessity
Dutch:
noodzakelijk
— of necessity
Dutch:
noodzakelijkerwijs
— of necessity
Esperanto:
nepre
— of necessity
Estonian:
paratamatult
— of necessity
Finnish:
välttämättä
— of necessity
Finnish:
välttis
— of necessity
French:
absolument
— of necessity
French:
nécessairement
— of necessity
Galician:
necesariamente
— of necessity
Georgian:
აუცილებლად
(aucileblad)
— of necessity
German:
notwendigerweise
— of necessity
German:
nötig
— of necessity
German:
unbedingt
— of necessity
German:
zwangsläufig
— of necessity
Greek:
αναγκαστικά
(anagkastiká)
— of necessity
Haitian Creole:
nesesèman
— of necessity
Hebrew:
בהכרח
(b'hekhréakh)
— of necessity
Hindi:
अवश्य
(avaśya)
— of necessity
Hindi:
अनिवार्यतः
(anivāryataḥ)
— of necessity
Hindi:
ज़रूरत से
(zarūrat se)
— of necessity
Hindi:
लाज़िमी तौर पर
(lāzimī taur par)
— of necessity
Hindi:
ज़रूर
(zarūr)
— of necessity
Hindi:
ज़रूर से
(zarūr se)
— of necessity
Hungarian:
szükségszerűen
— of necessity
Indonesian:
seharusnya
— of necessity
Indonesian:
semestinya
— of necessity
Irish:
is gá go...
— of necessity
Italian:
necessariamente
— of necessity
Italian:
a tutti i costi
— of necessity
Italian:
di riffa o di raffa
— of necessity
Italian:
volente o nolente
— of necessity
Italian:
per forza
— of necessity
Norman:
nécessaithement
— of necessity
Norwegian:
nødvendigvis
— of necessity
Persian:
لزوماً
(lozuman)
— of necessity
Polish:
koniecznie
— of necessity
Portuguese:
necessariamente
— of necessity
Russian:
обяза́тельно
(objazátelʹno)
— of necessity
Serbo-Croatian:
obavezno
— of necessity
Serbo-Croatian:
obvezno
— of necessity
Sicilian:
pi forza
— of necessity
Sicilian:
pi pattu
— of necessity
Slovak:
nevyhnutne
— of necessity
Slovak:
nutne
— of necessity
Lower Sorbian:
na kuždy pad
— of necessity
Lower Sorbian:
na kuždy part
— of necessity
Spanish:
necesariamente
— of necessity
Telugu:
అవశ్యముగా
(avaśyamugā)
— of necessity
Thai:
ต้อง
(dtɔ̂ng)
— of necessity
Ukrainian:
обов'язко́во
(obovʺjazkóvo)
— of necessity