bare essentials
plural noun
: the things that are absolutely necessary
We only had enough room to pack the bare essentials.
Examples of bare essentials in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
An individual’s life is reduced to the bare essentials of what fits on a mobile display.
—
Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
Everything was reduced to the bare essentials: A storage unit underscores the entrance, while the sleeping area is closed off from the rest of the apartment by a soft curtain.
—Giada Storelli, Architectural Digest, 7 Mar. 2026
Kind of reminds me of the Slate truck that’s stripped down to the bare essentials.
—New Atlas, 26 Jan. 2026
Cave life quickly stripped down to the bare essentials: collecting, splitting, and stacking wood; building fires; hauling water; digging pits in the woods; sweeping the floor and threshold; and, for hours each day, meditating on the platform.
—Michael Pollan, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
The Best Small Purses for Hands-Free Travel Days These mini purses fit the bare essentials—and little else.
—Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
My guess here is that Amazon’s plan is to dramatically slim down the first game into its bare essentials.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, many Americans are struggling to afford things beyond the bare essentials, according to the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 9 Dec. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
Everything was reduced to the bare essentials: A storage unit underscores the entrance, while the sleeping area is closed off from the rest of the apartment by a soft curtain.
—Giada Storelli, Architectural Digest, 7 Mar. 2026
Kind of reminds me of the Slate truck that’s stripped down to the bare essentials.
—New Atlas, 26 Jan. 2026
Cave life quickly stripped down to the bare essentials: collecting, splitting, and stacking wood; building fires; hauling water; digging pits in the woods; sweeping the floor and threshold; and, for hours each day, meditating on the platform.
—Michael Pollan, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
The Best Small Purses for Hands-Free Travel Days These mini purses fit the bare essentials—and little else.
—Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
My guess here is that Amazon’s plan is to dramatically slim down the first game into its bare essentials.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, many Americans are struggling to afford things beyond the bare essentials, according to the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bare essentials.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bare%20essentials. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
