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.

IPOs by definition are stock events, but options trading will likely become the main event.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

"Repealing the defence would, by definition, make this kind of reasonable parental behaviour prosecutable."

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

The cap-weighting and resulting concentration aren’t bad by definition, especially during bull markets.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

Indeed, because all facts are by definition true we tend to think all truths are facts.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton