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

Relevance

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 And the global distribution of music has connected people and the unlimited shelf space, which basically allowed catalogs to gain much more prominence, including with younger audiences. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 14 Aug. 2026 The movie was originally edited by an Academy Award winner, and so coming in and basically re-editing his vision took some courage. — ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2026 Surveys about how Americans experience their time basically show that there isn’t enough of it. — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026 Shares of Goldman were basically flat in afternoon trading, essentially mirroring the broader financials sector in the S & P. — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 12 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
  • Mastering the clipping economy Some of Ossoff’s newfound fans know him mostly from clips — one or two-minute-long videos that travel wide and far on social media platforms.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • But critics say the president has not met those expectations and has become unpopular among many of Nigeria's mostly young voters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of mostly
Adverb
  • Treasury is managing yields, which looks like monetary policy, while the Fed’s balance sheet works mainly through the composition of government debt, which looks like fiscal policy.
    — James Broughel, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The center also receives waste such as leaves and construction materials and processes them into new products, mainly compost and cattle bedding.
    — Rose Evans August 21, Idaho Statesman, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of mainly
Adverb
  • The Army's most significant response has been the Future Soldier Preparatory Course, a pre-basic training program primarily at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for recruits who narrowly miss academic or body-fat standards.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Hancock, who flashed high-level plays last year as a safety, has primarily played as a nickel corner in Leonhard’s new scheme.
    — Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of primarily
Adverb
  • The economic outlook is also largely positive despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Other sailors described to CNN conditions unlike their previous deployments, largely because of the war, which stopped the ship from making stops at friendly ports.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of largely
Adverb
  • Today, other drugs are more often deployed, chiefly benzodiazepines or the benzodiazepine Clonazepam, which also render a person zombie-like and more reliably submissive.
    — Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond overall car performance, a pressing concern for Cadillac this year has been reliability, chiefly recurring brake overheating issues (below).
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of chiefly
Adverb
  • Another complaint has been that the newspaper has been mostly an aggregator of news instead of providing predominantly original news.
    — Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The participants were predominantly White healthcare professionals, meaning the findings need to be confirmed across diverse populations, the team acknowledged.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of predominantly
Adverb
  • If the patient is dosed less than what’s on the label, drugmakers generally get less money.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Denver’s elite offensive line and generally healthy offensive environment only boost the breakout appeal.
    — Jess Bryant, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of generally
Adverb
  • Trade along the route remains tiny compared with major throughways like the Suez Canal and is dominated by Russian oil and gas, which – along with a few other LNG buyers in Asia – principally flow to China.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Some Hoodoo practitioners have begun calling themselves witches, reflecting the increasingly positive reassessment of that term, which historically referred principally to practitioners of occult harming practices.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of principally

Browse Nearby Words

basic
basically
basics
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Basically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/basically. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on basically

Nglish: Translation of basically for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All