essentially as much

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "essentially as much" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that two things are comparable in a fundamental way, often in terms of quantity or degree. Example: "The new policy is essentially as much a change in procedure as it is a shift in company culture."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

TechCrunch

The New York Times

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Like their counterparts in the United States, Japan and Britain, the monetary authorities in the euro zone have already opened the spigots, allowing banks to borrow essentially as much as they want at the benchmark rate.

The New York Times

I find this personally unnerving as I know essentially as much about fashion as do most politicos, but the crossover is a reality.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Commissioner David Stern essentially said as much last month.

The New York Times

In a letter sent to investors, Mr. Icahn essentially said as much.

The New York Times

It's just as tempting to say — and he essentially admits as much — that not much care went into this writing.

The New York Times - Books

There don't seem to be many people left who doubt that they have the atom bomb; they've essentially admitted as much.

The New Yorker

Though the banks themselves could not declare that a material adverse change had occurred, they seemed to have argued that Home Depot and the private equity firms essentially admitted as much.

The New York Times

Last year, the Supreme Court decreed that corporations can essentially funnel as much money into political campaigns as they choose, unlike individuals.

Huffington Post

The National Crime Agency's former drugs lead essentially admitted as much in an interview with VICE earlier this month.

Vice

An online budgeting tool for employees provided by McDonald's essentially admitted as much, encouraging workers to get a second job in order to make $24,500 a year.

Huffington Post

Industry body the British Retail Consortium essentially said as much this week, when it warned that the sector is looking at 900,000 job losses in the next decade.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "essentially as much", ensure the comparison is clear and the context supports the implied equivalence. This phrase is most effective when highlighting a key similarity despite potential surface-level differences.

Common error

Avoid using "essentially as much" when the comparison is weak or misleading. Ensure the similarity is genuinely significant, not a superficial resemblance.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "essentially as much" functions as an adverbial modifier, qualifying a verb or adjective phrase to indicate a degree of approximation or substantial similarity. Ludwig AI validates this usage through examples, confirming its role in drawing comparisons.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

TechCrunch

17%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Science

5%

Wiki

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "essentially as much" is a phrase used to indicate a significant degree of similarity or equivalence between two things. Ludwig AI confirms the grammatical correctness of the phrase. While not overly common, it finds use across various contexts, particularly in news and media. When employing this phrase, ensure the comparison is valid and the context supports the implied near-equivalence. Alternatives like "virtually as much" or "practically as much" can offer similar meanings with slightly different nuances.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

virtually as much

Replaces "essentially" with "virtually", suggesting near equivalence but with a slight implication of approximation.

practically as much

Uses "practically" instead of "essentially", indicating a real-world or functional equivalence.

almost as much

Substitutes "essentially" with "almost", indicating a close but not necessarily complete degree or quantity.

nearly as much

Employs "nearly" instead of "essentially", suggesting a very close approximation.

substantially as much

Replaces "essentially" with "substantially", implying a considerable or significant degree.

fundamentally as much

Uses "fundamentally" instead of "essentially", highlighting a core or basic equivalence.

basically as much

Replaces "essentially" with "basically", suggesting a simplified or stripped-down equivalence.

in effect as much

Substitutes "essentially" with "in effect", indicating a practical result or outcome is comparable.

tantamount to as much

Uses "tantamount to" instead of "essentially as much", suggesting functional equivalence.

for all intents and purposes as much

Replaces "essentially" with "for all intents and purposes", indicating a legal or practical equivalence.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "essentially as much" in a sentence?

You can replace "essentially as much" with alternatives such as "virtually as much", "practically as much", or "almost as much" depending on the nuance you want to convey.

What does "essentially as much" mean?

"Essentially as much" implies that two things are fundamentally similar in quantity, degree, or effect, even if they may not be identical in all aspects.

Is "essentially as much" formal or informal?

"Essentially as much" is generally considered neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, although more concise alternatives might be preferred in very formal writing.

How does the meaning of "essentially as much" differ from "exactly as much"?

"Essentially as much" suggests a near or practical equivalence, while "exactly as much" implies a precise and absolute equality. The first allows for minor discrepancies, whereas the second does not.