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 The fungus basically created a water-resistant, self-cleaning coating without any external chemicals. — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026 That means Nina is basically forcing him and his team to go out of their way to stop the remaining voters. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026 The hospital basically told me to get over it and sleep it off but the pain was traumatic physically and mentally. — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026 Cyber is basically becoming a duopoly between Palo Alto and CrowdStrike . — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Sep. 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
  • Details of the contract have been mostly kept secret, as both companies said the agreement contained confidential business information.
    — Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Decades later, buses helped desegregate schools, hauling Black and white children across the country’s racial divide, a controversial practice that has mostly ended.
    — Jeff McMurray, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of mostly
Adverb
  • In the last decade Germany has sheltered millions of refugees, mainly from Syria and other troubled countries in the Middle East.
    — Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • There are only a handful of performances currently scheduled at the Kennedy Center, mainly at the adjacent facility known as the REACH.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of mainly
Adverb
  • Williams has the versatility to play inside and out, despite playing primarily in the slot in college.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Larson notes that whole-wheat or whole-grain crust generally provides more fiber and micronutrients such as magnesium than crust made primarily from refined white flour.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of primarily
Adverb
  • In the beginning, the team largely focused on fatal drunk-driving cases, Cherney said.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, Texas is moving away from a system that based special education funding largely on where and how students received services.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of largely
Adverb
  • That would mean that repetition, rather than representation, is chiefly at stake—a hypnotic ritual.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Many of the dozens missing in its environs were foreign nationals, chiefly Indian or Indian-origin pilgrims who were returning from, or preparing to make, the journey further into Tibet to Mount Kailash, a holy site for Hindus and Buddhists.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of chiefly
Adverb
  • Two years later, Wong became one of the key leaders of the city’s Umbrella Movement protests that rallied thousands of predominantly young people to the streets to call for greater democracy by blocking major thoroughfares for 79 straight days.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • If the night had ended after that soaring anthem, few in the heavily female and predominantly middle-aged crowd could have complained.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of predominantly
Adverb
  • Kristen Fisher said families generally were told simply that there were some staffing changes at the facility.
    — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Thematic methodologies have been one of the downfalls of contemporary museology (and art history) generally, a crisis of collective memory and the historical imagination overall.
    — George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of generally
Adverb
  • Their focus is principally Travis Kelce, who is reclined on an outdoor sofa, posing for a Tommy Hilfiger campaign.
    — Nick Remsen, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
  • This rising use of AI has principally been spurred by the evolving advances and widespread adoption of generative AI and LLMs such as ChatGPT, GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and others.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 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 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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 gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All