DictionaryAI

essential

i-SEN-shuhl/ɪˈsɛn.ʃəl/

Noun pluralessentials

9 meanings of essential

Practice

  1. 1
    absolutely neededadjective
    Needed so much that something cannot work or happen without it.

    Like the air you breathe: you cannot live without it.

    Water is essential for all living things.

    A good night's sleep is essential before a big test.

    UsageSay essential to or for something: essential for living things.

    Similarnecessary, needed, required, indispensable, requisite

    Oppositeunnecessary, unneeded, incidental

  2. 2
    adjective
    Very important and mattering a great deal.

    Like the star player a team depends on most.

    Trust is the most essential thing in any friendship.

    The essential point of her speech was that everyone should help.

    Similarcrucial, critical, key, central, important

    Oppositeunimportant

    Note
  3. 3
    nouncountable
    Something you really need, or one of the basic parts that something cannot work without.

    Like the foundation stones a house is built on.

    Sunscreen is a summer essential at the beach.

    We packed the essentials for our camping trip.

    UsageYou pack the essentials. A course teaches the essentials of a subject.

  4. 4
    basic natureadjective
    Showing the most basic and true nature of something.

    Like the seed at the center of a fruit: the core everything grows from.

    The essential message of the story is about kindness.

    She painted the essential beauty of the mountains.

    UsageOften in the essential difference or the essential message.

    Similarbasic, fundamental, intrinsic, inherent, integral

    Oppositesuperficial, incidental, accidental

  5. 5
    needed in dietadjective
    Needed for health but not made by the body in large enough amounts, so it must come from food.

    Like batteries a toy cannot make for itself: you have to put them in.

    Vitamin C is essential because our bodies cannot make it.

    Some fats are essential and must come from the food we eat.

    UsageOften in essential amino acids and essential fatty acids.

    Oppositenonessential

    Note

Practice

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Origin

From Latin essentia, meaning "being" or "essence."

Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 2 facts