Meaning & use

basically

adverb·Everyday

In essential respects; fundamentally, when reduced to the most important points.

See it in a sentence

Basically, the plan is to save enough money to travel for a full year.

The two proposals are basically the same, aside from a few small details.

A note on using this word

Basically is often overused as a filler word at the start of a sentence; strong writing usually removes it without losing meaning.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “basically”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.