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Definitions

essential

[uh-sen-shuhl] / əˈsɛn ʃəl /
ADJECTIVE
important, vital
Synonyms
STRONGEST
crucial fundamental imperative important indispensable main necessary needed vital
STRONG
capital cardinal chief leading prerequisite principal requisite
WEAK
constitutive foremost must-have necessitous needful required right-hand wanted
Antonyms
STRONGEST
auxiliary extra inessential minor needless nonessential optional secondary subordinate trivial unimportant unnecessary voluntary
STRONG
inferior
WEAK
accessory atypical subsidiary
ADJECTIVE
basic, fundamental
Synonyms
STRONGEST
absolute constitutional elemental inherent intrinsic key main underlying
STRONG
cardinal cold ideal material nitty-gritty nub perfect primary prime primitive principal
WEAK
basal bottom-line complete congenital connate deep-seated elementary inborn inbred innate meat-and-potatoes quintessential substratal
Antonyms
STRONGEST
acquired extrinsic incidental inessential insignificant learned nonessential secondary unimportant
STRONG
flawed imperfect minor wrong
WEAK
accessory atypical auxiliary subsidiary
NOUN
necessity, basic
Synonyms
STRONGEST
condition element essence fundamental must precondition prerequisite principle requirement requisite
STRONG
ABCs groceries guts heart nitty-gritty quintessence rudiment stuff substance
WEAK
bottom line brass tacks fire and ice meat and potatoes name of the game nuts and bolts part and parcel sine qua non vital part where one's at
Antonyms
STRONGEST
extra
WEAK
accessory auxiliary nonessential subsidiary throwaway

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Even today, cyanobacteria remain essential to life on Earth.

From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026

“Our users tell us Claude is increasingly essential to how they work, and we need to build the infrastructure to keep pace with rapidly growing demand,” Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said in a statement.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

However, it was emptied by the Hafren Dyfrdwy water company, which said it was carrying out essential safety improvements.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

I’ve been primarily stocking up on — and eating — whole heads of garlic, which remain a kitchen essential year-round.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

In the Allegheny Mountains it was essential to be able to feed your family, especially during the winters.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Vocabulary lists containing essential

Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List

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List 2

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Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 41-50

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