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 And then basically write the entire Declaration of Independence. — NBC news, 5 July 2026 And there’s a challenge in writing about Musk and South Africa, because of basically a paucity of sources. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026 Gadjovich missed basically all of last season with a neck injury. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026 The Atlanta Braves started the season as basically the best team in baseball. — David Troy, FOXNews.com, 2 July 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
  • Politics have mostly been irrelevant (well, until yesterday’s red-card controversy), and many Americans have briefly set aside their red-versus-blue differences to rally together in the nation’s swirly red, white, and blue soccer kits.
    — Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
  • Hargitay reps a unique choice by NBC and the Television Academy for hosting the Emmys, which in recent years has stuck mostly with standups, late night hosts or comedic actors.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 July 2026
Definition of mostly
Adverb
  • The maintenance cycle appears to be driven mainly by univoltine Aedes species, mosquitoes that produce a single brood per year.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Ernest Shackleton, an Irish explorer, is remembered mainly for the 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of mainly
Adverb
  • Their tropical cocktails and frozen delights are easily crushable, primarily made with vodka, mezcal, rum and tequila.
    — Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
  • Although Chicago had its issues with redlining and massive disinvestment that left generational scars on some primarily Black neighborhoods, the small town ethos held little sway over me.
    — Dawn M. Turner, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of primarily
Adverb
  • Giselle Garcia, program director for NorCal Resist, said the arrest data largely tracks with the organization’s own informal counts though emphasized much enforcement goes unaccounted for if families aren’t willing to speak up.
    — Mathew Miranda July 9, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
  • During the war, as the death toll ticked upward in the enclave, search operations for bodies largely stopped, either because most heavy equipment was destroyed, fuel became scarce or many strike sites became inaccessible due to the fighting.
    — Bilal Shbeir, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of largely
Adverb
  • Advertisement Sea Rangers restore seagrass chiefly in the Dutch Eastern Scheldt and French Étang de Berre.
    — Richard Morgan, Time, 29 June 2026
  • Larson has clashed chiefly with Bronin — rather than his other two opponents — during the campaign.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
Definition of chiefly
Adverb
  • The 678 cases have predominantly been confirmed the southeast region of Michigan including Wayne County, where Detroit is located.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 6 July 2026
  • The neighborhood attracted a predominantly working-class community of Black families who lived in modest single-family houses.
    — Jena Brooker, ProPublica, 6 July 2026
Definition of predominantly
Adverb
  • Other brands, such as luxury lines, generally bundle gratuities into their fares and allocate them internally to crew.
    — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • The bacteria are found naturally in freshwater but amounts generally don't lead to disease.
    — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 7 July 2026
Definition of generally
Adverb
  • Oppenheimer’s note was principally focused, fitting for a global strategist, on how equity returns will be reshaped in a new regime.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 June 2026
  • The laser targeted one of three ground stations, principally NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Table Mountain Facility in California, with a third, experimental ground station at the Australian National University's Mount Stromlo Observatory.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 June 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 12 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of basically for Spanish Speakers

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