in essence

Definitions

in a fundamental or basic way; essentially, in substance

Equivalents

Examples

“If the human being who answers these tendencies assumes a submissive behavior, in essence a lowering of head and shoulders, wavering glance⟳, absence of all preparations for attack, general weakening of muscle tonus, and hesitancy in movement, the movements of attempt⟳ at mastery become⟳ modified into attempts at the more obvious swagger, strut and glare of triumph.”

“Indigenous people, such as agriculturists, hunters, and pastoralists initiated a system of totemism and tabooism which in essence was a natural law against killing and eating certain animals.”

“The viol, he argued, was in essence a bowed guitar, the result⟳ of a cross-fertilisation between the 15th-century Spanish plucked instrument known as the vihuela de mano and the medieval fiddle.”

“The study⟳ of the sounds within stars is known as astroseismology, and a separate⟳ report⟳ in Science details the findings of more than 500 stars whose deep rumblings Kepler has measured. As convection processes within stars move⟳ masses of material up from the core, great pressure waves - in essence, sound⟳ waves of very low frequency - are created.”

CEFR level