essentially
adverb
es·sen·tial·ly
i-ˈsen(t)-shə-lē 
-ˈsench-lē
: in essence : fundamentally
—used to identify or stress the basic or essential character or nature of a person or thing or to say that a description is basically true or accurate
He's essentially a good man.
… painting, essentially a two-dimensional art …—
Herbert Read
Herbert ReadThe fact that so many bloggers are essentially anonymous allows them to spew rancor, rumor, lies, and obscenities.—Gil Troy
Gil TroyAphids feed on the sugary phloem of plants. Essentially they steal the product of photosynthesis.—Caleb Rounds
Caleb RoundsExamples of essentially in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Every pill in a bottle of pills that is prescribed by a physician, manufactured by a pharmaceutical company and distributed by a licensed pharmacy should have essentially the exact same dose.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2025
The Jets, who won on a 56-yard field goal by Nick Folk as time expired, essentially gave up on the 2025 season weeks ago and started trading away key pieces.
—Josh Kendall, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Adkins did indeed return for Week 3 and worked his way up into essentially his full workload over the next couple of weeks.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025
That turnover essentially ended the game.
—Charlotte Observer, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for essentially
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Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2025
The Jets, who won on a 56-yard field goal by Nick Folk as time expired, essentially gave up on the 2025 season weeks ago and started trading away key pieces.
—Josh Kendall, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Adkins did indeed return for Week 3 and worked his way up into essentially his full workload over the next couple of weeks.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 1 Dec. 2025
That turnover essentially ended the game.
—Charlotte Observer, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for essentially
Cite this Entry
“Essentially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essentially. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.
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