basically

adverb

ˈbā-si-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce basically (audio)
Definition of basicallynext
as in mostly
for the most part your answer is basically correct

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of basically Y'know, like what is basically a James Brown split after every strikeout. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026 The Flagship kitchen is basically a fruits de mer frat house, where the kitchen workers, none rougher or funnier than Sal (Leo Woodall), are a bunch of misfits, snorting cocaine off one hand and slamming down plates of French fries with the other. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026 The democratic socialism growing popular in the United States today basically seeks the social support most European countries offer. — Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 Tuning into their broadcasts is basically listening to old buddies talking baseball. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for basically
Recent Examples of Synonyms for basically
  1. mostly
  2. mainly
  3. primarily
  4. largely
  5. chiefly
  6. predominantly
  7. generally
  8. principally
Adverb
  • In the neighborhood, which is actually the oldest part of Prague, there are mostly residential buildings, embassies, and local offices.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Many skeptics see a contradiction in high-achieving, mostly white young voters employing rhetoric about labor and solidarity.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of mostly
Adverb
  • The show, the first ever to be mainly in Spanish, would end up courting significant conservative backlash, to the point that Kid Rock and Turning Point USA elected to put on their own alternative halftime show.
    — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Previously they were used mainly for breaching, blasting doors open, but demand has surged.
    — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of mainly
Adverb
  • Is this style choice primarily a form of self-expression, or is my teen trying to cope with deeper emotional distress?
    — Liz Regalia, Parents, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike conventional battery plants focused primarily on cells, the Heze project brings together battery-cell manufacturing, materials production and energy-storage system integration.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of primarily
Adverb
  • The Frenchman scored more league goals than any other Liverpool player last season, but that was largely with Isak on the sidelines.
    — Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Friday’s report will likely underscore that the job market remains stable but in a low-flow state, with non-healthcare hiring a little sluggish and the unemployment rate largely unchanged.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of largely
Adverb
  • Rochlin, who used to work in mosquito control, pointed out that his predecessors in New York were chiefly concerned with malaria.
    — Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Building a network is capital intensive, requiring continuous, steady investment in both towers and spectrum —- drawing capital away from businesses that investors more richly reward, chiefly AI.
    — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of chiefly
Adverb
  • Lake was also the only Black woman in a field of exclusively male, predominantly white candidates for the county’s top seat.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Their active roster is predominantly right-handed, which clogs up some of the lineup decisions for Roberts.
    — Katie Woo, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of predominantly
Adverb
  • Measles is highly contagious, but the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is highly effective, and protection generally lasts for life.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The 26-year-old suspect was identified only as a foreign national who has been granted legal asylum, in line with Greece’s strict data protection laws, which generally prohibit authorities from naming criminal suspects without their consent.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of generally
Adverb
  • Medicaid Fraud Control Units were principally responsible for investigating providers, while also prosecuting the abuse and neglect of patients whose care was billed to Medicaid.
    — Ben Zdencanovic, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Back in those early days there was talk of Newcastle winning the Premier League in the next five to 10 years, principally from the mouth of Amanda Staveley, a 10 per cent minority partner of PIF who sold her stake and left Tyneside in July 2024.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of principally

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Cite this Entry

“Basically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/basically. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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