essentially as good

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "essentially as good" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that something is fundamentally comparable in quality or effectiveness to something else, despite potential differences. Example: "While the two products have different features, they are essentially as good in terms of performance."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

It's essentially as good as result as Tesla can have hoped for from the U.S. traffic safety agency's investigation, which took place over the last six months.

TechCrunch

Delta i = AICi - minAIC (2)Burnham and Anderson (2002) suggest that models with Δi ≤ 2 provide "substantial evidence" for the model, meaning these models are essentially as good as the best model.

Crime Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

There was no virtue in letting your enemies send you to that other, better place, if Salt Lake City was essentially just as good.

The New Yorker

First dates are essentially looking as good as you can possibly look and using light conversation to joust away enough of the edges of the person in front of you to decide whether you want to ever see them again, full in the knowledge that if you do decide to ever see them again you greatly increase the odds of spending the rest of your natural life with them, or at least a few years.

Vice

But never had authors been marketed essentially as consumer goods, paving the way for a small group of writers, from Charlaine Harris to Malcolm Gladwell, to dominate best-seller lists — often with several titles at a time — in the same way that brands like Skippy and Grey Poupon dominate supermarket shelves.

The New York Times - Magazine

The eluted protein fraction was specifically assayed for AlaAT activity (EC 2.6.1.2) essentially as described by Good and Muench (1992).

Amino Acids

Essentially, he's been as good as anybody I've ever seen during the course of a season".

The New York Times

Of course, he didn't mean for you to ignore that Victor Martinez is out for the year, or that Jordan Walden is now an experienced closer, but for players who have essentially the same roles (and as good or better health) as last season, you're almost better off pretending last year didn't happen.

The New York Times

"Their strength forecast was essentially perfect, and their storm surge forecast for New York City was absolutely as good as a forecast can be these days".

The New York Times - Science

There's essentially no way that the Rockets/Bulls or Nuggets/Clippers will be anywhere near as good as this one, right?

The Guardian - Sport

The observation that they all returned essentially the same accuracy supports our belief that this behaviour is probably as good as we can expect from this data.

BioMed Research International

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "essentially as good" to convey that something is fundamentally comparable, even if there are superficial differences. It's useful when highlighting the core benefits or performance are consistent.

Common error

Avoid using "essentially as good" when there are significant differences. Be sure to accurately reflect the degree of similarity to maintain credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "essentially as good" functions as an adjectival phrase used to modify a noun, indicating that something possesses nearly the same qualities or effectiveness as something else. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

13%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Encyclopedias

8%

Social Media

8%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "essentially as good" is a useful way to express that two things are comparable in quality or effectiveness, despite any minor differences. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's grammatically sound and can be used in various contexts, from news reporting and scientific writing to general conversation. Alternatives like "practically as good" and "virtually as good" offer similar meanings, while maintaining a formal tone. While not an incredibly frequent phrase, "essentially as good" is a valuable addition to your linguistic toolkit.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

practically as good

Emphasizes the practical equivalence despite minor differences.

virtually as good

Highlights that the difference is so small as to be almost nonexistent.

almost as good

Indicates a slight inferiority but close to the same level.

nearly as good

Suggests a close comparison in terms of quality or effectiveness.

effectively equivalent

Focuses on the functional equivalence of the items being compared.

substantially similar

Implies that the core aspects are alike, even if details differ.

comparable in quality

Directly states that the quality is at a similar level.

tantamount to

Indicates that the result is the same in effect or value.

much the same

A more informal way of saying they are very similar.

roughly equivalent

Indicates an approximate similarity, with some room for variation.

FAQs

How can I use "essentially as good" in a sentence?

You can use "essentially as good" to compare two things that have minor differences but are largely the same in quality or outcome. For example, "While the features differ, the two phones are "essentially as good" in performance".

What's a more formal alternative to "essentially as good"?

For a more formal tone, consider using "practically as good" or "virtually as good". These options convey a similar meaning with a slightly elevated register.

Is "essentially as good as" the same as "almost as good as"?

While similar, "essentially as good as" implies a greater degree of equivalence than "almost as good as". The latter suggests a noticeable, though perhaps small, difference in quality.

What does it mean when something is described as "essentially as good"?

It means that despite any superficial differences, the thing being described is fundamentally equivalent in terms of its key qualities or functions to whatever it is being compared to.