neccessarily

Necessarily is an English adverb that denotes inevitability, a requirement by the nature of things, or a logical consequence. It is used to indicate that something must be the case under given conditions, or that a statement follows from something else. In everyday speech, it often appears in the phrase not necessarily to signal that a claim is not guaranteed or that a particular connection is not universal.

Etymology and meaning: necessarily comes from the adjective necessary, with the suffix -ly. The root word necessary derives from Latin necessarius, through Old French necessaire. In philosophy and logic, necessarily expresses a modal concept: something that is true in all possible circumstances or worlds, not just in the actual world.

Spelling and usage notes: The standard spelling is necessarily. A common misspelling is neccessarily, among others, which is widely considered incorrect in standard English. Writers should ensure the sequence ne-ces-sar-y- becomes ne-ces-sar-i-ly when forming the adverb.

Usage considerations: Not necessarily often hedges claims, indicating that a conclusion does not logically or inevitably follow in every case. In formal contexts, it contrasts with contingently or possibly, which denote less absolute forms of truth. Phrases such as not necessarily true or not necessarily so are common in both everyday and academic English.

See also: necessary; not necessarily; necessity; modal logic.