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
What to expect SpaceX got through most of the countdown Thursday, essentially repeating what the launch team accomplished in a recent dress rehearsal.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
But the measure doesn’t prevent search committees from submitting a single name as a finalist, essentially moving the entire search process behind closed doors.
—Gray Rohrer, Sun Sentinel, 22 May 2026
The technology, essentially an automated controller, that monitors composite 3D printing, was created by scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee, part of the US Department of Energy (DoE).
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026
The fight streams on DAZN pay-per-view essentially everywhere, marketed as a global exclusive.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for essentially
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Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
But the measure doesn’t prevent search committees from submitting a single name as a finalist, essentially moving the entire search process behind closed doors.
—Gray Rohrer, Sun Sentinel, 22 May 2026
The technology, essentially an automated controller, that monitors composite 3D printing, was created by scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee, part of the US Department of Energy (DoE).
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026
The fight streams on DAZN pay-per-view essentially everywhere, marketed as a global exclusive.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for essentially
Cite this Entry
“Essentially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essentially. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
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