basically
Americanadverb
-
in a way that involves or affects the fundamental character or condition.
The building needs a few repairs, but is basically sound.
-
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.”
adverb
-
in a fundamental or elementary manner; essentially
strident and basically unpleasant
-
(sentence modifier) in essence; in summary; put simply
basically we had underestimated mother nature
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of basically
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That $40 billion would represent basically all of the company’s projected $44.5 billion in revenue this year, according to FactSet.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
In other words, they induced jet lag despite basically going nowhere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
“We’ve seen basically the best out of the bullpen,” Hernández said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
So you’ve got regulation and legislation basically foreclosed by Supreme Court decisions, and that leaves litigation.
From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2026
“You said Mamá is a flower, so she is basically good to us,” Velia said.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
