basically

[bey-sik-lee]

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.”

basically

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• quasi-basically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of basically¹

First recorded in 1900–05; basic + -ally

Example Sentences

“It kicks off our high season, and it is one moment—the other one being the actual Super Bowl—where it’s basically everyone in the country just stuffing their face.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He says he would do basically anything that felt “rebellious and expressive.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"If only two out of five members continue their contracts and the rest end things like this, that's basically a disbandment," one person wrote on X.

Read more on BBC

“That’s basically what he said. He accepted my apology for it as well.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“I now realized there was an entire industry, called consumer finance, that basically existed to rip people off.”

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• essentially 
• mostly