essentially
adverb
es·sen·tial·ly
i-ˈsen(t)-shə-lē 
-ˈsench-lē
: in essence : fundamentally
—used to identify or stress the basic or essential character or nature of a person or thing or to say that a description is basically true or accurate
He's essentially a good man.
… painting, essentially a two-dimensional art …—
Herbert Read
Herbert ReadThe fact that so many bloggers are essentially anonymous allows them to spew rancor, rumor, lies, and obscenities.—Gil Troy
Gil TroyAphids feed on the sugary phloem of plants. Essentially they steal the product of photosynthesis.—Caleb Rounds
Caleb RoundsExamples of essentially in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Despite the similarity of their names, these two models aren’t just essentially the same monitors but with different screen sizes.
—John Archer, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
The purposeful abandonment or destruction of multimillion-dollar satellites and instruments is essentially unprecedented, scientists told CNN.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025
There are three competing technologies, and one is, essentially, A.I.; Synthetics (or synths), like Kirsch, are entirely robotic.
—EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Drug traffickers bankroll many people in rural communities, essentially buying local support and protection.
—Miami Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for essentially
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John Archer, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
The purposeful abandonment or destruction of multimillion-dollar satellites and instruments is essentially unprecedented, scientists told CNN.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2025
There are three competing technologies, and one is, essentially, A.I.; Synthetics (or synths), like Kirsch, are entirely robotic.
—EW.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Drug traffickers bankroll many people in rural communities, essentially buying local support and protection.
—Miami Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for essentially
Cite this Entry
“Essentially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essentially. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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