1
as in necessary
impossible to do without
a well-stocked public library is essential for the well-being of a community
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in basic
of or relating to the simplest facts or theories of a subject
anyone with an essential knowledge of human biology can follow the documentary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in integral
being a part of the innermost nature of a person or thing
an unquenchable belief in the essential goodness of most people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in must
something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable
the essentials for success include a willingness to work and the right attitude
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in principles
essentials plural
general or basic truths on which other truths or theories can be based
this will be just an introduction to the essentials of computer programming
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
an essential role
essential information
critical information
fundamental information
useful information
primary information
precious information
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of essential
Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
Naturally produced by your body, collagen is an essential protein that helps build and maintain skin, bones, and connective tissues.
—Brianna Peters, Vogue, 1 July 2025
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 June 2025
Check out some popular home goods and essentials that are also at Amazon to help decorate and set up your tiny house, below.
—Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for essential
Adjective
The House bill text also included a provision prohibiting Obamacare marketplace insurance plans from including gender transition procedures as an essential health benefit.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
Naturally produced by your body, collagen is an essential protein that helps build and maintain skin, bones, and connective tissues.
—Brianna Peters, Vogue, 1 July 2025
Noun
The Pala Super Mart & Fuel Station will include a 12,000-square-foot retail area, which is three times the size of the existing Pala Mini Mart, and will sell fresh produce, dairy, pantry staples and household essentials, among other items.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 June 2025
Check out some popular home goods and essentials that are also at Amazon to help decorate and set up your tiny house, below.
—Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for essential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for essential
Adjective
-
Eduardo Cavaliere, Rio’s vice mayor, said in an interview that the rules were necessary to impose some order to a sometimes chaotic scene.—
Dado Galdieri,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
-
Of course the private sector can price assets correctly of its own accord, and if riskless securities are necessary for this purpose, the private sector can produce them.—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
Adjective
-
For most of our lives, body odor stems from sweat, bacteria and dead skin, which can be addressed with basic hygiene.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2025
-
Then, just provide basic personal information to secure your new account with bet365.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
The report cites that as of Feb. 13, the district had 47.5 special education teacher vacancies among other vacancies including school psychologists, school social workers and speech language pathologists, all of whom are integral to special education services for students.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
6 July 2025
-
The reports come as the success of Tesla's robotaxi division may be increasingly integral to the future of the company.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
Pasta salad is always a must at the potluck, and this one has been around for a very long time.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
7 July 2025
-
Finally, and perhaps most obviously, in today’s office world, drinks and snacks are a must.—
Brit Morse,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
But before the drama unfolds at Royal Portrush, PGA Tour pros are making sure to take that required break to rejuvenate their energy again.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
-
The Campbell County Republican Committee in Kentucky has been vacated by the state party due to its failure to hold a required organizational meeting.—
Jolene Almendarez,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
From behind the fence, at the white hut, a rudimentary but powerful loudhailer and speaker system is set up, from which a commentator fills every second of dead air with excitable exhortations to Allah combined with knowledgeable play-by-play analysis in machine-gun fast Arabic.—
Camilla Wright,
semafor.com,
11 July 2025
-
What began as rudimentary chatbots programmed to respond to queries based on keywords eventually evolved into GenAI.—
Vivek Ahuja,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Performance Trade-Offs: Real-time applications face inherent constraints due to the computational overhead of symbolic reasoning, knowledge graph traversal and the general reduction in inference speeds compared to pure neural approaches.—
Anuradha Weeraman,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
The fibers’ inherent comfort also resonates with lifestyle brands like Ugg.—
SJ Studio,
Sourcing Journal,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
The rates are based on an assumption that workers are paid $15.75 an hour, although there's no requirement for employers to pay that rate.—
Cleo Krejci,
jsonline.com,
8 July 2025
-
Select airports have begun to allow passengers to keep their shoes on while going through security checkpoints, and phasing out the requirement could soon extend to all airports nationwide.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Essential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/essential. Accessed 17 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share