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
The unprecedented $400 million gift, which President Donald Trump has said will transfer to his library after his term ends, will require extensive renovation to serve essentially as the flying White House.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Her mom has trouble with intimate relationships and is sort of like a boy crazy mom, and Taylor's the one that's seeing the manifestation of that, and essentially comforting her mother and trying to help her.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 21 May 2025
Forgotten, and soon gone–after six months, the card, issued by Blackhawk Network, starts charging a hefty $5.95 per month inactivity fee, essentially confiscating her payout.
—Jeff Kauflin, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
But experts outside of the agency told me that the policy could also prevent most American children from accessing their initial series of COVID vaccines—essentially guaranteeing that kids will first encounter the virus without protection.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for essentially
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Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Her mom has trouble with intimate relationships and is sort of like a boy crazy mom, and Taylor's the one that's seeing the manifestation of that, and essentially comforting her mother and trying to help her.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 21 May 2025
Forgotten, and soon gone–after six months, the card, issued by Blackhawk Network, starts charging a hefty $5.95 per month inactivity fee, essentially confiscating her payout.
—Jeff Kauflin, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
But experts outside of the agency told me that the policy could also prevent most American children from accessing their initial series of COVID vaccines—essentially guaranteeing that kids will first encounter the virus without protection.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 21 May 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 24 May. 2025.
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