essentially

essential +‎ -ly

• IPA^(key): /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: es‧sen‧tial‧ly

• Audio (US)

  (file)

essentially (comparative more essentially, superlative most essentially)

1. in essence
   • 2012 March, Henry Petroski, “Opening Doors”, in American Scientist‎, volume 100, number 2, pages 112–3:

     A doorknob of whatever roundish shape is effectively a continuum of levers, with the axis of the latching mechanism—known as the spindle—being the fulcrum about which the turning takes place. Applying a force tangential to the knob is essentially equivalent to applying one perpendicular to a radial line defining the lever.

• actually, at bottom, at heart, basically, centrally, characteristically, factually, fundamentally, in essence, in the main, inherently, intrinsically, naturally, substantially
• See also Thesaurus:intrinsically or Thesaurus:fundamentally