essentially

British  

/ ɪˈsɛnʃəlɪ /

adverb

1. in a fundamental or basic way; in essence

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Explanation

Notice the tie between essentially and the word "essence," referring to the very core of something. As an adverb, then, essentially refers to something's nature. In spite of your faults, you're essentially a good person. The word essentia came from the Lower Latin, referring to something's inherent qualities. If you're convinced that there's not much difference between two things, you might say that they are essentially the same. Nietzsche once made the essentially sexist comment, "Man wishes woman to be peaceable, but in fact she is essentially warlike, like the cat.”

Example Sentences

He added the organisation was "essentially putting science on hold" by temporarily suspending all access to its online research platform while it put additional controls in place "to prevent anything like this happening again".

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

All you have to do is pay a $10 fee at the door, which is essentially a token that goes toward your first drink.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Mr. Domingo is a superb actor, but John Logan’s script essentially reduces him to a snarling menace here, albeit one whose perfectionism built a foundation for global success.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

“To be quite honest, we were not forecasting that this ETF would essentially be in rarefied air within 10 days,” said Dave Mazza, chief executive of boutique asset manager Roundhill Investments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Notice that the syncopated notes in the melody come on the second and fourth quarters of the beat, essentially alternating with the strong eighth-note pattern laid down in the accompaniment.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

• actually
• approximately
• necessarily
• originally
• permanently
• quite
• really
• substantially
• truly
• typically
• virtually