of necessity

USAGE SUMMARY

"of necessity" is correct and can be used in written English.
It is usually used to indicate that something is required or must happen, often due to external factors. For example: "We have to move out of our apartment of necessity, as the building is being renovated."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It has changed, of necessity.

The New Yorker

It was out of necessity.

The New Yorker

Out of necessity, improvement.

The Washington Post

The enemy is adapting out of necessity.

The New York Times

They did this season, out of necessity.

The New York Times - Sports

It might be out of necessity.

The New York Times - Sports

I know about an erotics of necessity.

The New Yorker

They were tiny out of necessity.

The New York Times

That is largely out of necessity.

The New York Times

It was born out of necessity.

The Guardian - Music

It is of necessity a collective thing.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "of necessity" to clearly indicate actions or conditions that are unavoidable due to specific circumstances. For example, "The company downsized its workforce of necessity due to the economic downturn."

Common error

Avoid using "of necessity" excessively in formal writing, as simpler alternatives like "necessarily" or "because of" often provide a more direct and concise way to convey the same meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "of necessity" functions primarily as an adverbial phrase. It modifies a verb or clause to indicate that an action or state is required or inevitable due to certain circumstances. Ludwig shows frequent usage across varied contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Science

18%

Formal & Business

9%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Reference

2%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "of necessity" serves as an adverbial phrase indicating that something is required or unavoidable due to certain circumstances. Ludwig AI confirms it as grammatically correct with very common usage across different sources, primarily news and media. When writing, consider if alternative phrases like "necessarily" or "due to" might be more concise. While versatile, overusing "of necessity" can make your writing sound overly formal, as seen in the Ludwig examples.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

by necessity

Changes the preposition from "of" to "by", altering the emphasis slightly but retaining the core meaning of being required.

required by the situation

States directly that the necessity arises from the conditions at hand.

dictated by the situation

Suggests the necessity is imposed by prevailing conditions.

by force of circumstances

Emphasizes the external conditions that compel a particular action.

due to unavoidable circumstances

Highlights the inevitability of the situation causing the necessity.

compelled by events

Focuses on how external events drive the necessity.

out of obligation

Replaces "necessity" with "obligation", focusing on a sense of duty or compulsion rather than pure requirement.

it is imperative that

Emphasizes the critical and urgent nature of the requirement.

it is essential that

Replaces the phrase with a more direct statement of requirement.

as a matter of course

Shifts the focus to something that happens automatically or routinely because of the situation.

FAQs

How can I use "of necessity" in a sentence?

"Of necessity" is used to indicate that something is required or unavoidable. For example, "The changes were made "by necessity" due to the limited resources."

What can I say instead of "of necessity"?

You can use alternatives like "necessarily", "due to", or "out of necessity" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "of necessity" or "by necessity"?

Both "of necessity" and ""by necessity"" are grammatically correct, but "of necessity" is generally more common. The choice depends on the specific context and desired emphasis.

What's the difference between "of necessity" and "necessarily"?

"Of necessity" is a prepositional phrase indicating a condition or requirement, while "necessarily" is an adverb meaning inevitably or as a necessary consequence. "The project, "of necessity", required additional funding." vs. "The project necessarily required additional funding."