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
Leno, who almost never missed a day’s work, essentially stood alone.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
If the Supreme Court upholds an appeals court ruling, providers would be essentially barred from mailing the drug and an in-person doctor visit would be required.
—Elissa Nadworny, NPR, 14 May 2024
Owing to the medieval fascination with miniaturization, the pasta for ravioli was essentially little tourtes or tortelli.
—Dawn Davis Sharon Radisch Soneela Nankani Emma Kehlbeck Joel Thibodeau, New York Times, 13 May 2024
Zeke has essentially coached himself for two years and has guided all the other throwers.
—Marcus Reichley, The Arizona Republic, 13 May 2024
Why would a defendant essentially predict his own conviction and then publicly talk about that, especially in a case that's so high profile?
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 13 May 2024
Kendall-Frost is the only remaining marshland in 4,000-acre Mission Bay Park, which was essentially all marshland before it was aggressively dredged after World War II to create what city officials call the world’s largest aquatic park.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2024
These stem cells were active long after the initial infection, even after levels of fungal antibodies and neutrophils had died down—essentially priming the body to respond dramatically to a future fungal threat.
—Maggie Chen, WIRED, 19 Apr. 2024
But a Senate resolution would do away with Arizona’s judicial retention elections, allowing superior, appellate and Supreme Court judges to essentially have lifelong terms.
—The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2024
If the Supreme Court upholds an appeals court ruling, providers would be essentially barred from mailing the drug and an in-person doctor visit would be required.
—Elissa Nadworny, NPR, 14 May 2024
Owing to the medieval fascination with miniaturization, the pasta for ravioli was essentially little tourtes or tortelli.
—Dawn Davis Sharon Radisch Soneela Nankani Emma Kehlbeck Joel Thibodeau, New York Times, 13 May 2024
Zeke has essentially coached himself for two years and has guided all the other throwers.
—Marcus Reichley, The Arizona Republic, 13 May 2024
Why would a defendant essentially predict his own conviction and then publicly talk about that, especially in a case that's so high profile?
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 13 May 2024
Kendall-Frost is the only remaining marshland in 4,000-acre Mission Bay Park, which was essentially all marshland before it was aggressively dredged after World War II to create what city officials call the world’s largest aquatic park.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2024
These stem cells were active long after the initial infection, even after levels of fungal antibodies and neutrophils had died down—essentially priming the body to respond dramatically to a future fungal threat.
—Maggie Chen, WIRED, 19 Apr. 2024
But a Senate resolution would do away with Arizona’s judicial retention elections, allowing superior, appellate and Supreme Court judges to essentially have lifelong terms.
—The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'essentially.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Essentially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essentially. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
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