adverb
basically
BAY-sihk-lee
adverb
1
In essence; when reduced to the most important point.
"Basically, we're over budget and behind schedule."
"The plan is basically the same as last year's."
How to Use Basically
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA word used to sum something up simply, or as a casual filler at the start of a sentence.
When to use it
Very common in speech as a filler word; in formal writing it's better to state the point directly rather than lead with "basically."
Word Forms
more basically comparative, most basically superlative
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_____, we're over budget and behind schedule.
Etymology
From basic + the adverb suffix -ally.