# basically

Pronunciation: say "BAY-sik-lee" /ˈbeɪ.sɪk.(ə.)li/

## Adverb

1. Used to mark the most important or fundamental point the speaker is making, or to signal a generalization or simplification, and sometimes little more than a filler word.
   - Simple: Used to give the main point or sum things up, sometimes just as filler with little real meaning.
   - _Basically, the engine just needs a new belt and it'll run fine._
   - _We ran out of money halfway through the trip and had to come home, basically._
2. In the most important or fundamental respects; essentially, leaving aside small details.
   - Simple: In the most important ways, when you leave out the small details.
   - _Her new novel is basically a retelling of an old folktale._
   - _We're basically agreed on the plan, with only the budget left to settle._

## Origin

Formed from "basic" combined with the suffix "-ally".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/basically (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).