ESSENTIALLY Synonyms: 14 Similar and Opposite Words

essentially

adverb

Definition of essentially

as in basically

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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 essentially Also worth checking out are the Alice Comedies, a series of 56 shorts Walt Disney made in the 1920s that are essentially the inverse of Out of the Inkwell. — James Grebey, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 But time has already essentially run out, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes told USA TODAY. — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 That sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere, where the blues are scattered away, and the reds are bent towards the moon, essentially casts the colors of the Earth's sunrises and sunsets onto the lunar surface. — Marina Jurica, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 That means coach Sean Payton, general manager George Paton and their staffs will go essentially right from the game to finalizing their 53-man roster. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for essentially

Recent Examples of Synonyms for essentially

Adverb

Yet France’s challenges ahead are in many ways the same as California’s — most basically, just how to survive a hotter, more volatile climate with fire dangers that far exceed what was normal just a generation ago.

— Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
The concept is basically like a solar eclipse; a coronagraph blocks out the glare of a star such that anything around that star can come into focus.

— Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of basically

Adverb

That could make life harder for the NCAA in court given that the organization has long argued for deferential treatment on the basis that college sports is a fundamentally different product than pro sports.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Aug. 2026
This becomes particularly problematic in the context of generative AI, where the interaction between people and information has fundamentally changed.

— Ted Ladd, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026