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Definitions

in essence

ADJECTIVE
practically
Synonyms
STRONGEST
approximately basically essentially morally nearly virtually
STRONG
much
WEAK
about all but as good as as much as close to for all intents and purposes fundamentally in effect most nigh well-nigh
Antonyms
WEAK
far not close
ADVERB
at heart
Synonyms
WEAK
at bottom basically deep down fundamentally in spite of appearance inside
ADVERB
basically
Synonyms
STRONGEST
essentially mostly
WEAK
at heart at the bottom firstly in substance inherently intrinsically primarily radically
Antonyms
WEAK
additionally extra inessentially
ADVERB
essentially
Synonyms
STRONGEST
actually approximately necessarily originally permanently quite really substantially truly typically virtually
STRONG
fundamentally
WEAK
at heart at the heart of centrally characteristically chiefly determinately factually importantly in effect indispensably inherently intimately intrinsically materially more or less so naturally primarily principally radically significantly vitally
Antonyms
STRONGEST
doubtfully
WEAK
apparently on the surface superficially
ADVERB
nearly
Synonyms
STRONGEST
approximately practically roughly virtually
STRONG
about closely most well-nigh
WEAK
all but approaching as good as circa close but no cigar give or take a little in effect in substance in the ballpark in the neighborhood just about more or less much nearabout not quite pretty near round roundly some somewhere upwards of within a little
ADVERB
per se
Synonyms
WEAK
alone as such by and of itself by definition by its very nature by itself fundamentally in itself independently intrinsically of itself singularly solely virtually
ADVERB
substantially
Synonyms
STRONGEST
considerably essentially extensively heavily largely materially really
WEAK
in fact in reality in substance in the main mainly much
Antonyms
STRONGEST
slightly
WEAK
insignificantly
ADVERB
virtually
Synonyms
STRONGEST
basically essentially nearly practically
WEAK
around as good as effectually for all intents and purposes fundamentally give or take a little guesstimate implicitly in all but name in effect in substance in the ballpark in the neighborhood morally not absolutely not actually something like upwards of

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.

UTLA: The district has offered, in essence, an 8% raise over two years, structured in different ways.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

“This is in essence a scarlet-letter designation for Anthropic that puts this AI stalwart in the same category as the Chinese tech player Huawei in the U.S.,”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 1, 2026

"The people using these products are, in essence, becoming lab rats," Adam Taylor, professor of anatomy at Lancaster University, explains.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

By doing so, the court is, in essence, nullifying state law and depriving him of “the state-created liberty interest upon which he seeks to rely.”

From Slate • Feb. 13, 2026

A refutation of this argument, in essence, can be found in Cicero, although of course without either typewriters or Shakespeare.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton