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
Paramount, which has made a rival, hostile bid for all of WBD, including the cable networks, has maintained that Discovery Global is essentially worthless given the downward trajectory of pay-TV.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
The rate of diseases once considered essentially under control, if not eradicated, has been climbing in recent years in the United States as vaccine rates have fallen.
—Will Carless, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
The board of supervisors voted in April 2025 to essentially defund the joint city-county LAHSA and instead form its own department.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
All of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota might have a chance to see the northern lights, according to the forecast, along with essentially all of Washington, Michigan, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for essentially
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Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2026
The rate of diseases once considered essentially under control, if not eradicated, has been climbing in recent years in the United States as vaccine rates have fallen.
—Will Carless, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
The board of supervisors voted in April 2025 to essentially defund the joint city-county LAHSA and instead form its own department.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
All of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota might have a chance to see the northern lights, according to the forecast, along with essentially all of Washington, Michigan, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 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 28 Jan. 2026.
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