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

Chiao is part of a booming new economy of professional experts in their fields who are training AI through a process called reinforcement learning, essentially grading AI’s responses and teaching models to improve through trial and error. —Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026

Given how quickly silver's price trajectory can shift, its price volatility has become an important factor to weigh, not just for silver bullion investors, but also for those eyeing silver mining stocks, which are essentially shares of precious metal mining and production companies. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026

For the first time, Europe will essentially protect its defense industry. —Joseph De Weck, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026

Their legacies in South Florida as essentially Dolphins lifers also put them in a class of their own. —Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for essentially

• potentially
• confidentially
• exponentially
• inferentially
• experientially