essentially
Britishadverb
Explanation
Notice the tie between essentially and the word "essence," referring to the very core of something. As an adverb, then, essentially refers to something's nature. In spite of your faults, you're essentially a good person. The word essentia came from the Lower Latin, referring to something's inherent qualities. If you're convinced that there's not much difference between two things, you might say that they are essentially the same. Nietzsche once made the essentially sexist comment, "Man wishes woman to be peaceable, but in fact she is essentially warlike, like the cat.”
Vocabulary lists containing essentially
Amari and the Night Brothers
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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.
He added the organisation was "essentially putting science on hold" by temporarily suspending all access to its online research platform while it put additional controls in place "to prevent anything like this happening again".
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
“Submissions to the U.S. government consultation processes show business essentially wants a single agreement,” McAdoo adds.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
All you have to do is pay a $10 fee at the door, which is essentially a token that goes toward your first drink.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
Mr. Domingo is a superb actor, but John Logan’s script essentially reduces him to a snarling menace here, albeit one whose perfectionism built a foundation for global success.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
All by himself, Chau generated vast demand for the riskiest slices of subprime mortgage bonds, for which there had previously been essentially no demand.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
