not necessarily
idiom
: possibly but not certainly
—used to say that something is not definitely true
Seats in the front row are not necessarily the best.
"We're going to lose this game." "Not necessarily."
Examples of not necessarily in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The number of extremist groups is substantial and skewed toward the right, although a count of organizations does not necessarily reflect incidents of violence.
—
Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
The work itself is not necessarily going to be especially intrinsically rewarding.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
The companies with the best manufacturing strategies, not necessarily the best chemistry, will likely win.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2025
Going out, does not necessarily mean heading to a nightclub.
—Felicia Faber, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not necessarily
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.
Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2025
The work itself is not necessarily going to be especially intrinsically rewarding.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
The companies with the best manufacturing strategies, not necessarily the best chemistry, will likely win.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2025
Going out, does not necessarily mean heading to a nightclub.
—Felicia Faber, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not necessarily
Cite this Entry
“Not necessarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20necessarily. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share