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
Selling short and put options are essentially bets that a stock will go lower.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Boots essentially take a clog and add a long nylon neck that can be cinched tight around the lower calf.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Aside from Buckley stepping off the boat, there were calls for Canfield to be removed from the driver’s role, which is essentially the team’s de facto leader, steering the boat and making the final tactical decisions.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 29 May 2026
House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, insisted on cutting the current budget of more than $115 billion, while Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, preferred to keep funding essentially level.
—Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for essentially
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Zev Fima, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Boots essentially take a clog and add a long nylon neck that can be cinched tight around the lower calf.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Aside from Buckley stepping off the boat, there were calls for Canfield to be removed from the driver’s role, which is essentially the team’s de facto leader, steering the boat and making the final tactical decisions.
—Andrew Rice, New York Times, 29 May 2026
House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, insisted on cutting the current budget of more than $115 billion, while Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, preferred to keep funding essentially level.
—Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 29 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 3 Jun. 2026.
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