必(かなら)ずしもNot always, Not entirely, Not necessarily

Although it is often considered a stand-alone adverb, 必(かなら)ずしも is a combination of the adverb 必(かなら)ず 'invariably', or 'certainly', and the adverbial particles し and も. し and も are often combined in order to strengthen the meaning of the word before it. Due to this, 必(かならず)ずしも may be translated as something similar to 'absolutely certainly'.

However, 必(かならず)ずしも is an expression that is only used in negative sentences, so is commonly translated as 'not always (A)', 'not entirely (A)', or 'not necessarily (A)'. Despite this, the literal meaning is close to 'not absolutely certainly (A)'. 必(かならず)ずしも is often used at the beginning of a phrase, before expressing something that is not 100% certain.