essentially

adverb

es·sen·tial·ly i-ˈsench-lē

-ˈsen(t)-shə-

Synonyms of essentially next

: 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 ReadThe fact that so many bloggers are essentially anonymous allows them to spew rancor, rumor, lies, and obscenities.—

Gil TroyAphids feed on the sugary phloem of plants. Essentially they steal the product of photosynthesis.—

Caleb Rounds

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web And not a moment too soon, given that the start of the NFL’s league year and the opening of free agency is essentially only a week away. —

The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2023 The Colt took top honors by essentially matching the Civic on the functional, ergonomic, and subjective fronts and then pressing its value advantage (more comfort and convenience features for less money). —

Kevin Smith, Car and Driver, 4 Mar. 2023 The design of it was essentially very Mary Shelley. —

Christian Holub, EW.com, 4 Mar. 2023 Kohbergers' attorneys contend the gag order essentially requires the attorneys involved in the case to act ethically to ensure Kohberger gets a fair trial. —

CBS News, 4 Mar. 2023 Its large-format stores, designed essentially as regional shopping hubs, are not suited to every community, whereas dollar stores have smaller footprints that require less land and fewer infrastructure improvements. —

Michael Corkery, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2023 Kohbergers' attorneys contend the gag order essentially requires the attorneys involved in the case to act ethically to ensure Kohberger gets a fair trial. —

Rebecca Boone, ajc, 4 Mar. 2023 The state’s argument essentially boiled down to Mr. Murdaugh killed his wife and son to generate sympathy and avoid detection of a long-running financial fraud. —

Valerie Bauerlein, WSJ, 3 Mar. 2023 With some of the strictest regulations in the country, New York essentially forbids rentals in most apartments for fewer than 30 days without a tenant present. —

Raeedah Wahid, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'essentially.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.