essentially

adverb

es·​sen·​tial·​ly i-ˈsen(t)-shə-lē How to pronounce essentially (audio)
-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
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And that’s essentially what happens shortly after every game, when manager Matt Quatraro convenes with coaches and staff — including Royals vice-president of research and development Daniel Mack — to start the design for the purpose of the building: best chance to win the next day. Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 9 May 2025 But Trump has implemented a 10% universal tariff on virtually every product entering the United States — with higher rates for certain goods — and 145% tariffs on China, essentially a trade embargo on the world’s second largest economy. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 9 May 2025 And all of these places essentially are madrassas, or Islamic seminaries. Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 9 May 2025 But the consensus was that the Chinese would essentially be suppliers to Molycorp, giving the company more product at a lower cost, while never developing their own processing facilities, much less permanent magnet companies. Mark Dent, HubSpot, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for essentially

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of essentially was in 1774

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Cite this Entry

“Essentially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essentially. Accessed 16 May. 2025.

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