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

So, for me, that was the creation of the Anti-American Speech Committee, which is a government panel essentially designed to prosecute artists for holding views or creating work that resists basically the fascist state that has overtaken the American government. —Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025

That said, the college admissions process is essentially trust but verify. —Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025

The essentially first-year starting quarterback, and the young offensive line and backfield. —Seth Emerson, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025

As for what the next few months look like, Taylor’s doctors told him there is essentially no timeline. —Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for essentially

• potentially
• confidentially
• exponentially
• inferentially
• experientially