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

Steinbach is essentially a walking double-double and should only improve with more confidence and experience. — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026

The throw from first baseman Michael Busch, as the Cubs were trying to turn a double play, hit Swanson square in the mouth at essentially full speed. — Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026

The new facility will essentially act as a large rechargeable battery for the state’s electrical grid. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026

The league has a plan for how to handle talking publicly about the negotiation for the next collective bargaining agreement between the league and players, which is essentially guaranteed to result in a lockout this offseason. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for essentially

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