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

“That’s basically rewinding 10 years of demand growth.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

“But I think basically he assessed, correctly, that he’s eating the costs of the Iran debacle, like it or not.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

"All the wires are basically white, there are too many to colour code, so therefore each wire has a unique alpha-numeric identity code printed on it," Dr Dickinson added.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

So for the special, again, I don’t do this intentionally, but basically I live life, I try to pay attention.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

It wouldn’t have been a big deal if that had been all—Daniel was a lizard and therefore basically untrippable—but Kevin pushed.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

Related Words

• essentially
• mostly