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.
"A link-up is a bunch of kids basically just coming together to play music, have fun, talk," Prince, 18, tells me.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Start with portfolio-management fees — basically the cost investors pay firms like Vanguard and Fidelity to manage their investments.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Joaquin basically said, ‘Hey I’m coming in soon, I’m going to bring you something big,’” the source said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Online shopping, says Charlotte, “is something I avoid, especially as I get older — I just don’t have the patience to decode the sizing differences of four different brands selling basically the same shirt.”
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
As I recall, for example, Karpov in 1975 was the one who refused to play me under my conditions, which were basically the same conditions that we are going to play now.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
