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

The fact that so many bloggers are essentially anonymous allows them to spew rancor, rumor, lies, and obscenities.

—Gil Troy

Aphids feed on the sugary phloem of plants. Essentially they steal the product of photosynthesis.

—Caleb Rounds

Examples of essentially in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This meant no difference in the travel speed of light, essentially disproving the existence of the ether. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 3 July 2026

Did the woman who has spent a career immersed in romance with all of its joys and sorrows really exchange vows in what's essentially her workplace? — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 July 2026

The question of self-dealing was essentially rhetorical, because the expectation that a president served the country — not himself — was foundational. — Lynn Schmidt, Mercury News, 2 July 2026

One of Batista’s answer-backs essentially accused Rosa of cultural appropriation. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for essentially

• potentially
• circumferentially
• experientially
• confidentially
• exponentially
• inferentially