basically
Americanadverb
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in a way that involves or affects the fundamental character or condition.
The building needs a few repairs, but is basically sound.
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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
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in a fundamental or elementary manner; essentially
strident and basically unpleasant
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(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.
Your children do not own the assets directly, and it’s basically treated as income/pocket money for them to spend in ways that the trustee approves.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026
The Mag 7 ETF, at just over $64, is basically flat in the past week-and-a-half, and has consistently bounced in the mid-$60s, where buyers have repeatedly come in since April.
From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026
Your book basically tells us to stop repeating these talking points, not just because they’re untrue, but because this is mostly a labor issue, not an intelligence or creativity issue.
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026
Higher levels of carbon make water look brown because it’s basically dissolved plant matter that stains the water like tea leaves would.
From Science Daily • Jun. 21, 2026
It was basically the same as my old phone, but with the new heavy-duty case Grandma had insisted I buy, it felt about three times as big; I could barely get my hand around it.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
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.
