Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adverb In a basic way; fundamentally or essentially.
- adverb For the most part; chiefly.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adverb in a
fundamental ,essential orbasic manner
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adverb in essence; at bottom or by one's (or its) very nature
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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His use of the term "basically altruistic" is surely intended to be provocative, but what the economist means is that terrorists are often acting out of a desire to help others in their group.
Are al-Qaida and the Taliban driven by the desire to help others? | Aditya Chakrabortty 2011
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Meanwhile, for now, the critical challenges remain basically the same—though I'm very hesitant to say that, and of course "basically" is a big word, really just a hedge against being dead wrong before they even close the casket.
Introduction 2003
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Now, the dialect is a little tricky here, but it basically translates as:
Nunc Scio » Blog Archive » Westboro Baptist Church to picket Greyhound bus victim’s funeral 2008
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It's all far too boring and ridiculous to go into, but basically it's overheating pretty much constantly, and all signs are pointing to something head-gaskety, which in case you don't know basically translates as "horrendously expensive".
Archive 2008-04-01 2008
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Sarkozy was insulted by a member of the crowd, and with the cameras still rolling muttered, "Casse-toi, pauvre con" -- which basically translates as buzz off, jackass.
Elizabeth Bard: Paris Notebook: A Day at the Salon d'Agriculture 2008
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One week of that I spent visiting my Mum "up north" as we Canadians like to say -- it basically translates as "more northerly, colder and uncivilized than where I am currently located... suckaz", but other than that I don't have much of an excuse.
Very Short Fiction -- Happily Ever After ghostwes 2007
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The term basically means 'uttering to the public' and is capable of the widest application.
Book & Print in New Zealand: A Guide to Print Culture in New Zealand Penny Griffith 1885
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The name basically nailed it for us, says Andy Greenhouse, director of the Lost Picture Show, a replica of a classical picture house enclosed in a festival-ready tent, agrees.
The Guardian World News Ruth Jamieson 2011
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The 'adverse event rate' basically translates as "how many procedures have gone wrong?"
MoneyWeek RSS - All 2010
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"The term basically means that we are a very flexible force,"
super-ken commented on the word basically
Worst misused word, ever.
December 9, 2006
mikepurvis commented on the word basically
I just love the comedic value of this one what you tack it onto some other adjective. The meal wasn't just inedible, it was *basically* inedible: inedible at its most basic level.
December 13, 2006
seanahan commented on the word basically
I hear it misused a lot as "mostly".
December 13, 2006