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
The telling is harrowing, but also humorous at times, and achieves an emotional register that had me, essentially, transfixed.
—John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Because three of the council’s nine members were absent, the council was essentially deadlocked 3-3 on the bus stops.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
The cameras essentially act as eyes for the Siri digital assistant and aren’t designed to take photos or video.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
When the social media app briefly went dark in January 2025, Trump, on his first day in office, signed an executive order that allowed the company to continue operating in the United States, essentially vowing not to enforce the ban while negotiations over a potential sale continued.
—Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for essentially
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John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Because three of the council’s nine members were absent, the council was essentially deadlocked 3-3 on the bus stops.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
The cameras essentially act as eyes for the Siri digital assistant and aren’t designed to take photos or video.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
When the social media app briefly went dark in January 2025, Trump, on his first day in office, signed an executive order that allowed the company to continue operating in the United States, essentially vowing not to enforce the ban while negotiations over a potential sale continued.
—Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 8 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 14 May. 2026.
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