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 Tulum one-piece has a cross-strap design on the front to secure your chest (essentially slip proof) and a tie-up back — just make sure to double or triple knot if engaging in an active beach day.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 7 June 2024
Advertisement The tax essentially acts as a mechanism to allow California to collect billions in additional federal funds for Medi-Cal, California’s healthcare system for low-income residents, as Democrats expand eligibility to all income-qualifying immigrants.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024
Lower berths essentially refer to passenger capacity on a ship.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 5 June 2024
The judges ruled in their favor, finding that, in many respects under the law, homeschools are essentially like private schools: not required to register kids with the state and not subject to testing or curriculum mandates.
—Molly Parker, ProPublica, 5 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for essentially 
Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 7 June 2024
Advertisement The tax essentially acts as a mechanism to allow California to collect billions in additional federal funds for Medi-Cal, California’s healthcare system for low-income residents, as Democrats expand eligibility to all income-qualifying immigrants.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024
Lower berths essentially refer to passenger capacity on a ship.
—Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 5 June 2024
The judges ruled in their favor, finding that, in many respects under the law, homeschools are essentially like private schools: not required to register kids with the state and not subject to testing or curriculum mandates.
—Molly Parker, ProPublica, 5 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for essentially
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'essentially.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Essentially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essentially. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
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