by definition

ADVERB

necessarily

Synonyms

STRONGEST

automatically naturally no doubt undoubtedly unquestionably

WEAK

accordingly as a matter of course axiomatically beyond one's control by its own nature cardinally come what may compulsorily consequently exigently from within fundamentally incontrovertibly indubitably ineluctably inescapably inexorably irresistibly of course of necessity perforce positively pressingly significantly unpreventably vitally willy-nilly without fail

Antonyms

STRONGEST

doubtfully questionably

WEAK

unnecessarily

ADVERB

per se

Synonyms

WEAK

alone as such by and of itself by its very nature by itself fundamentally in essence in itself independently intrinsically of itself singularly solely virtually

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Given that gentrification, almost by definition, transforms high-disorder areas into tidier ones, and given that the process appears to be continuing in New York and other cities, hasn’t Mr. Gottlieb got matters exactly backward?

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

"Classified workloads are by definition opaque," said one organizing employee, who was not named in the statement.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Balance, by definition, inherently involves equal consideration of more than one point of view.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

First, scientists, by definition, don’t believe anything until it’s proven, and these things are often almost impossible to prove in the real world.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 11, 2026

We had something important in common, then, a personality quirk I didn’t share with Alaska or anybody else, although almost by definition Lara and I couldn’t express it to each other.

From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green

by definition

Example Sentences

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