basically

American  

[bey-sik-lee] / ˈbeɪ sɪk li /

adverb

1. in a way that involves or affects the fundamental character or condition.

   The building needs a few repairs, but is basically sound.

2. as a recap of the main point or idea; if put simply or briefly.

   Basically, her advice boils down to “Eat a sensible, balanced diet, and relax.”

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basically British  

/ ˈbeɪsɪklɪ /

adverb

1. in a fundamental or elementary manner; essentially

   strident and basically unpleasant

2. (sentence modifier) in essence; in summary; put simply

   basically we had underestimated mother nature

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Other Word Forms

• quasi-basically adverb

Etymology

Origin of basically

First recorded in 1900–05; basic + -ally

Example Sentences

“With that action of stepping on the fumi-e, Rodrigues is basically embracing the mystery of life and death, which is what Jesus is,” says Mr. Scorsese.

From The Wall Street Journal

"If you squeeze half a sponge, the water only goes on that half. That's basically what the cell is doing."

From Science Daily

“Every unit is an end unit. You basically live in your own house, and you have a backyard, which a lot of townhomes don’t,” he said.

From MarketWatch

John Barnard, a wetland specialist, said: "There are historical records of swallowtails right across East Yorkshire. So bringing milk parsley back basically puts things in place for where they originally lived."

From BBC

“You basically have an environment where the economy is somewhat slowing” and the Fed is potentially “on the sidelines” keeping its benchmark rate steady on inflation risks, he said.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• essentially
• mostly