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

Xreal’s Google-powered Aura glasses do basically what a VR headset used to do, but in see-through glasses that weigh a sixth as much.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

Micron’s current momentum is basically a bet on memory bottlenecks “persisting in perpetuity,” which Keller doesn’t believe is a likely scenario.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 26, 2026

“The two earthquakes could basically get merged together, so we can expect potentially there is a reclassification later,” Zhan said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026

"So, that's what I was basically trying to live with. Which is not easy in the seating position that you're sitting in."

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026

This may seem counterintuitive, but remember, you are basically compensating for the transposition that is "built into" the instrument.

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

Related Words

• essentially
• mostly