essential

adjective es·sen·tial \ i-ˈsen(t)-shəl \

Definition of essential

1 :of, relating to, or constituting essence :inherent

2 a :of the utmost importance :basic, indispensable, necessary

an essential requirement for admission to college

b :being a substance that is not synthesized by the body in a quantity sufficient for normal health and growth and that must be obtained from the diet

a vegetable oil rich in essential fatty acids

— see also essential fatty acid — compare nonessential 2

3 :idiopathic

essential disease

essential hypertension

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essentially

play \i-ˈsench-lē, -ˈsen-chə-\ adverb

—

essentialness

play \i-ˈsen-chəl-nəs\ noun

See essential defined for English-language learners

See essential defined for kids

Examples of essential in a Sentence

As a fighter pilot, he knows that good vision is essential.
Free speech is an essential right of citizenship.
The essential problem with this plan is that it will cost too much.
There's no essential difference between the two products.

Recent Examples of essential from the Web

Marketplace plans must cover ten essential benefit categories (like prescription drugs and maternity care).

— paige winfield cunningham, Washington Post, "The Health 202: Trump says Obamacare will implode. But his administration isn't necessarily hurting it.," 30 Aug. 2017
NASA has shut down Johnson Space Center for all employees except essential personnel, like members of the center’s flight-control room, which communicates with the International Space Station.

— marina koren, The Atlantic, "NASA's New Telescope Is in Harvey's Path," 29 Aug. 2017
The county and union are in the process of creating a list of essential employees who will not strike.

— joshua stewart, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego County's biggest union announces strike date," 29 Aug. 2017
Just a Basic Dressing At their most essential form, dressings require some fat, some acid, and some kind of seasoning.

— alex delany, Bon Appetit, "Salsa Verde Is the Goes-On-Everything Sauce You've Been Waiting For," 29 Aug. 2017
Here in what is now Little Managua, populated more by Central Americans than Cubans, numerous envíos shops like El Catracho Express, where customers send money and packages back home, are essential to the immigrant economy.

— linda robertson, miamiherald, "They put everything into their taco shop. The mess outside is destroying it all," 28 Aug. 2017
Yet despite how essential sleep is to your kid’s overall well-being, children (and parents) simply aren’t sleeping enough.

— Southern Living, "This ‘Bedtime Calculator’ Tells You Exactly When Your Kids Should Go to Bed," 22 Aug. 2017
Economic growth is essential for creating investment opportunities and higher living standards around the world.

— mark daly, idahostatesman, "The economy is lagging still, but looks to rebound in the near future," 21 Aug. 2017
Essential facts: Andy Rubin’s new company has had a rough start.

— michael simon, PCWorld, "Best Buy posts Essential phone listing, hinting at an imminent release," 4 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'essential.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of essential

14th century

essential Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of essential

essential, fundamental, vital, cardinal mean so important as to be indispensable. essential implies belonging to the very nature of a thing and therefore being incapable of removal without destroying the thing itself or its character.

- conflict is essential in drama

fundamental applies to something that is a foundation without which an entire system or complex whole would collapse.

- fundamental principles of algebra

vital suggests something that is necessary to a thing's continued existence or operation.

- cut off from vital supplies

cardinal suggests something on which an outcome turns or depends.

- a cardinal rule in buying a home

essential

noun

Definition of essential

1 :something basic

the essentials of astronomy

2 :something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable

See essential defined for English-language learners

Examples of essential in a Sentence

the essentials for success include a willingness to work and the right attitude
this will be just an introduction to the essentials of computer programming

Recent Examples of essential from the Web

Parents also need to consider more than just the bare essentials when dealing with children.

— rebecca mcbane, South Florida Parenting, "Don't Wait for the Storm: The most important step in a Family Emergency Plan is to make one," 30 Aug. 2017
With Hurricane Harvey barreling towards the Texas coast, millions of area residents are heading to the store for essentials like beer and Pop-Tarts—if Walmart's data is any indicator, that is.

— maria carter, Country Living, "Why Walmart Always Stocks Up On Strawberry Pop-Tarts Before a Hurricane," 25 Aug. 2017
Naturally there’s a lot to wade through, from cool hats to jewelry to fancy lace lingerie and workplace essentials, totaling a dense 42 web pages full of bargains.

— indya brown, The Cut, "15 Designer Finds From the Outnet’s Crazy End-of-Season Sale," 22 Aug. 2017
Here’s how the next-day Restock service works: ▪ Shoppers go online to Target.com’s Restock section and start filling a box from 15,000 everyday essentials.

— maria halkias, star-telegram, "Target expands next-day delivery test to DFW and Denver," 15 Aug. 2017
After the Endurance was caught in ice, Shakelton ordered that the crew reduce down to its essentials and had the men shoot Mrs. Chippy.

— jackie mansky, Smithsonian, "A Brief History of Traveling with Cats," 14 Aug. 2017
The annual festival in Waterfront Park, which runs through Sunday, was its usual affable self with easy access to the essentials (bourbon) and a friendly crowd that seemed largely unfazed by the heat.

— jeffrey lee puckett, The Courier-Journal, "5 things you missed at the Forecastle Festival," 15 July 2017
Overhead air vents (above the doors) are road-trip essentials for reducing kids’ queasiness.

— mark maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid: Road-trip ready," 7 July 2017
Fill the hat with anything: from apples to your collection of buttons, to your bathroom essentials.

— rachel swalin, ELLE Decor, "This IKEA Furniture Line From Lady Gaga and Beyonce Stylist Bea Akerlund Is Eccentric To The Core," 6 July 2017

First Known Use of essential

15th century

essential Synonyms

Synonyms

condition, demand, must, must-have, necessary, necessity, need, needful, requirement, requisite, sine qua non

Antonyms

nonessential, nonnecessity

Related Words

precondition, prerequisite; advantage, edge, plus; desideration, desideratum, wish

Near Antonyms

amenity, comfort, extra, extravagance, frill, indulgence, luxury, superfluity, surplus, surplusage

ESSENTIAL Defined for English Language Learners

essential

adjective

Definition of essential for English Language Learners

: extremely important and necessary
: very basic

essential

noun

Definition of essential for English Language Learners

: something that is basic or necessary : something essential

ESSENTIAL Defined for Kids

essential

adjective es·sen·tial \ i-ˈsen-shəl \

Definition of essential for Students

1 :extremely important or necessary

It is essential that we all meet here.

2 :forming or belonging to the basic part of something

Free speech is an essential right of citizenship.

—

essentially

adverb

essential

noun

Definition of essential for Students

:something that is basic or necessary

I packed the bare essentials for the trip.

Medical Dictionary

essential

adjective es·sen·tial \ i-ˈsen-chəl \

medical Definition of essential

1 :being, relating to, or containing an essence

an essential odor

2 :being a substance that is not synthesized by the body in a quantity sufficient for normal health and growth and that must be obtained from the diet

The body converts linoleic acid—an essential fatty acid that makes up 60 percent of corn oil—into arachidonic acid.
—Janet Raloff, Science News, 24 June 1989

— see essential amino acid — compare nonessential

3 :having no obvious or known cause :idiopathic