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
  • For motorists with electric vehicles, the average kilowatt hour cost at charging stations in Florida on Sunday rounded up to 41 cents, a rate mostly unchanged since early March.
    — News Service Of Florida, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Sweaters, which are mostly made in Turkey, retail for $295 to $395 for the core line and $395 to $900 for the Italian collection.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 8 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
  • The site sits in South Memphis, where the surrounding neighborhoods are predominantly Black and ringed by industry that long predates xAI.
    — Austyn Gaffney, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Some of the students were children of officers at a Revolutionary Guard base located next to the school; many were local children from Minab, which is populated predominantly by members of Iran’s Baluch ethnic minority.
    — Amir Vahdat, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of predominantly
Adverb
  • Yet only a few people have actually seen it, with smaller and open-source AI companies generally getting excluded from the administration’s conversations.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Still, with new coach Mike Babcock on board and two of the best players in the NHL to lead the way, fans are in a generally good mood.
    — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 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

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Cite this Entry

“Basically.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/basically. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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