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.

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

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

"He seems to believe that any good-faith disagreement with his own interpretation of the law is, by definition, illegitimate," Schwinn told AFP.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

“If we allocate more to Europe over the next 10 years, we will by definition allocate less to the rest of the world, including the U.S.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 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

All planes, as they approach their destination, are by definition running out of fuel.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

by definition

Example Sentences

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