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 Blacks, meanwhile, essentially held open tryouts to find new dragonriders to add more aerial firepower.
—Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
The document, first reported earlier this month by the tech news outlet 404 media, is a Privacy Threshold Analysis, which is essentially a federal report assessing whether the privacy implications of a tool warrant further government study.
—Meg Anderson, NPR, 19 June 2026
Since Australia was a +425 underdog against Türkiye, the Socceroos essentially stole three points in group play.
—Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
That’s because Antetokounmpo is essentially on an expiring contract, with a player option for the 2027-28 season.
—Anthony Chiang
june 19, Miami Herald, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for essentially
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
The document, first reported earlier this month by the tech news outlet 404 media, is a Privacy Threshold Analysis, which is essentially a federal report assessing whether the privacy implications of a tool warrant further government study.
—Meg Anderson, NPR, 19 June 2026
Since Australia was a +425 underdog against Türkiye, the Socceroos essentially stole three points in group play.
—Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
That’s because Antetokounmpo is essentially on an expiring contract, with a player option for the 2027-28 season.
—Anthony Chiang
june 19, Miami Herald, 19 June 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 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
