Synonyms of essentially

46 similar words · 10 opposite words

Another word for essentially is basically. Other synonyms of essentially are ultimately, naturally, fundamentally, inherently and substantially. The opposite of essentially is incidentally.

Synonyms and similar words for essentially

inherentlyIn an inherent way; naturally, innately.
intrinsicallyIn an intrinsic manner; internally; essentially.
innatelyIn an innate manner, referring to a property that is possessed merely by its nature.
naturallyInherently or by nature.
quintessentiallyIn a manner that is typical or characteristic of a thing's nature.
in and of itselfSynonym of in itself.
per seWithout determination by or involvement of extraneous factors; by its very nature.
actually
at bottomReally, basically, fundamentally.
at heartIn spirit; according to one's beliefs, views or feelings; deep down, fundamentally, really.
basicallyIn a fundamental, essential or basic manner.
fundamentallyIn a fundamental or basic sense; reaching the very core of the matter.
characteristicallyIn a usual or expected way; in characteristic manner.
centrallyIn a central manner or situation; at, to, through or from the centre.
substantiallyTo a great extent; in essence; essentially.
au fondDeep down, in the end.
by definitionAccording to, or as a matter of, definition.
deep downFundamentally; in essence; in reality; as part of an honest appraisal.
in effectFor all practical purposes; in practice; actually; essentially; basically.
in essenceBy nature; inherently.
in the end
in the final analysisAll things considered; when all is said and done; in conclusion, basically and fundamentally.
ultimatelyIndicating the most important action.

substantively
more or lessApproximately.
all in all
all things considered
altogether
broadly
as a ruleIn general; most often.
by and large
chiefly
feckly
for the most partIn most aspects; mostly; generally.
generally
in the large
in the mainPrincipally; on the whole; for the most part.
largely
mainly
mostly
on the wholeFor the most part; apart from some insignificant details.
overall
predominantlyIn a predominant manner. Most commonly or frequently by a large margin.
pretty well
primarilyOf a primary or central nature, first and foremost.
principallyIn a primary manner; pertaining to the principal of a matter.

circumstantiallyIn respect to circumstances; not essentially; accidentally.
happenstantiallyBy happenstance; occurring due to random chance.
incidentallyBy happenstance; in a particular case which has little to no bearing on, and little to no causal relation to, any other...
coincidentallyIn a coincidental manner.
by chance
accidentally
adventitiouslyIn an adventitious manner; sporadically.
by accident
fortuitously
on accidentAccidentally; not intentionally; because of error, misfortune, or lack of caution.

What is another word for essentially?: Essentially has 46 synonyms on Word.ws, such as basically, ultimately, naturally, fundamentally, inherently, substantially, intrinsically and primarily.
What is the opposite of essentially?: The opposite of essentially is incidentally. Other antonyms of essentially are circumstantially and coincidentally.
What does essentially mean?: Essentially means in essence: by nature.

Adapted from Wiktionary: essentially (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “Synonyms of essentially.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/essentially. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.