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 nominal plan is to launch the test lander (essentially a crew module of the Blue Moon Mk2 vehicle) on New Glenn.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
Sales were essentially flat in April, but accelerated in May to their fastest pace since December.
—Alex Veiga, Fortune, 12 June 2026
After that, it was essentially ignored by the new administration.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 12 June 2026
Caroline as a woman who’s also a mother, who’s essentially the only person left in her family, Anne-Marie who’s lost two of her three children.
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for essentially
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Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
Sales were essentially flat in April, but accelerated in May to their fastest pace since December.
—Alex Veiga, Fortune, 12 June 2026
After that, it was essentially ignored by the new administration.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 12 June 2026
Caroline as a woman who’s also a mother, who’s essentially the only person left in her family, Anne-Marie who’s lost two of her three children.
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for essentially
Cite this Entry
“Essentially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essentially. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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