in essence

Idioms  

1. Basically, by nature, as in He is in essence a very private person or In essence, they were asking the wrong question. This term employs essence in the sense of “intrinsic nature,” a usage dating from the mid-1600s.

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Example Sentences

“I’ve always associated horror with summertime, actually. Like ‘Friday the 13th,’ ‘Sleepaway Camp’” — in essence, the freedom of summer invaded by fear and death.

From Salon • Jun. 30, 2026

The SPR is in essence an exchange — meaning barrels made available by the government and taken by energy companies, plus additional barrels as a premium, will have to be returned over time.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 18, 2026

“For me, human rights in essence is about human agency,” Roth said in an interview.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

As the manager of the the California Department of Education, the state superintendent serves, in essence, as the chief staffer for the State Board of Education, whose members are appointed by the governor.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

“What’s happening, in essence, is that you’re constantly scanning your texts and email because every once in a while you are going to get a good one and you can’t predict when that is. “

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• actually
• approximately
• necessarily
• originally
• permanently
• quite
• really
• substantially
• truly
• typically
• virtually