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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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necessarily necessary

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

'necessarily necessary' is not correct and cannot be used in written English.
It is not a valid phrase and its meaning is unclear. Instead, you could use the phrase 'absolutely necessary'. For example, "Making sure to take the necessary precautions is absolutely necessary for a successful event."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

"If we don't get consensus, I don't think staying in session is necessarily necessary".

News & Media

The New York Times

However, Lewis denied that he was claiming that principles of logic could be true without being necessarily true, or necessarily true without being necessarily necessary.

Science

SEP

That whatever is possibly possible is possible (or in other words that whatever is necessary is necessarily necessary) is the characteristic axiom schema of S4 modal logic.

Science

SEP

But Descartes also holds that God created the possibility that they not be necessary, and that is why they are not necessarily necessary, as it could have been the case that they could have been otherwise.

Science

SEP

The ontological argument goes back to St. Anselm (1033/34 1109), but I shall explore a current version relying heavily on the principle that if something is possibly necessarily the case, then it is necessarily the case (or, to put it redundantly, it is necessarily necessary).

Science

SEP

Though it's not necessarily necessary to do this to have the meat cook thoroughly, this will help ensure that the entire exterior of the piece of meat gets a satisfying "bark" or crust.

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

(Oh, if you only knew how it pained me to even write the words!) Or he could end up catching the bug, which would be wonderful, but not necessarily, well, necessary.

News & Media

The New York Times

Techniques of formal logic (also called symbolic logic) were developed for a very large class of arguments involving words such as and, or, not, some, all, and, in modal logic, possibly (or possible) and necessarily (or necessary).

Therefore, x 3 does not have necessarily a necessary medium value, i.e., x 3 is similar to some house that necessarily does not have medium value.

Being mammalian is necessarily a necessary condition of being a tiger, but of course not a sufficient condition Putnam's (1975a) Twin Earth thought experiment, in a non-semantic guise, leads to a similar conclusion.

Science

SEP

"Those who find skin care exhausting can find relief in the fact that a lengthy, elaborate skin care routine isn't necessarily, well, necessary for healthy skin".

News & Media

Huffington Post
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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "necessarily necessary" in your writing. It is redundant and can weaken your message. Opt for stronger, more concise alternatives like "absolutely necessary" or "essential".

Common error

Using "necessarily necessary" might seem like a way to stress the importance of something, but it actually dilutes your point. Replace it with a single, powerful adjective to add more weight to your statement.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

81%

Authority and reliability

1.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "necessarily necessary" functions as an adverbial modifier intended to emphasize the need for something. However, as indicated by Ludwig, it's grammatically incorrect and adds redundancy rather than clarity. The phrase is therefore weak and should be avoided.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "necessarily necessary" is considered grammatically incorrect and redundant. As Ludwig AI points out, it is not a valid phrase and its meaning is unclear. While the phrase does appear in some sources, it is generally recommended to use stronger, more concise alternatives like "absolutely necessary" or "essential". Its appearance is rare and should be replaced by single-word replacements or other alternatives for emphasis and clarity.

FAQs

What does "necessarily necessary" mean?

The phrase "necessarily necessary" is redundant and doesn't add extra meaning. It's generally better to use a single word like "essential" or "imperative".

How can I avoid using redundant phrases like "necessarily necessary"?

Review your writing for phrases where you're repeating the same idea with different words. Ask yourself if the extra word truly adds value or if it's simply taking up space. Often, the shorter option is the stronger one.

Is there a situation where "necessarily necessary" would be appropriate?

While technically not correct, the phrase "necessarily necessary" might be used for emphasis in very informal speech or writing, but this is rare and generally discouraged in formal contexts. Alternatives like "absolutely necessary" are more appropriate.

What are some alternatives to "necessarily necessary"?

Better alternatives include "essential", "indispensable", "imperative", or "critically important". These words convey the idea of something being required without being redundant.

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Source & Trust

81%

Authority and reliability

1.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: