Meaning & use
not necessarily
Used to say that something is possible but not certain, guaranteed, or automatically true.
See it in a sentence
Winning the first game does not necessarily mean the team will win the championship.
A high price is not necessarily a sign of better quality.
A note on using this word
Used to soften a claim, showing that an exception is possible even when something is usually true.
Words with a similar meaning
not always
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
definitelycertainly
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “not necessarily”, then compare your use with the examples above.
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