essential - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com

Essential means very basic or necessary. A good frying pan is one of a short list of kitchen essentials every cook must have. To prevent fires, it's essential to turn off appliances before leaving the house.

The adjective essential is often followed by to or that: It is essential to wash your hands. It is essential that you dry them after. This adjective is from Middle English essencial, from Late Latin essentialis, from Latin essentia "the basic nature of a thing, its essence" plus the Latin suffix -alis "relating to."

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: essential

1	adj n	basic and fundamental anything indispensable
2	adj	being or relating to or containing the essence of a plant etc
3	adj	defining rights and duties as opposed to giving the rules by which rights and duties are established

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: essential

1

adj basic and fundamental

“the essential feature”

Synonyms: crucial, important
of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis; basal, primary
of primary importance; biogenic
essential for maintaining the fundamental life processes; constituent, constitutional, constitutive, organic
constitutional in the structure of something (especially your physical makeup); must
highly recommended; no-frills
characterized by the absence of inessential features; staple
necessary or important, especially regarding food or commodities; substantial, substantive
having a firm basis in reality and being therefore important, meaningful, or considerable; virtual
existing in essence or effect though not in actual fact; life-sustaining, vital
performing an essential function in the living body; indispensable
not to be dispensed with; essential; unexpendable
not suitable to be expended; important, of import
of great significance or value; intrinsic, intrinsical
belonging to a thing by its very nature; necessary
absolutely essential; primary
of first rank or importance or value; direct and immediate rather than secondary

Antonyms:: inessential, unessential
not basic or fundamental; accessorial
nonessential but helpful; adscititious
supplemental; not part of the real or essential nature of a thing; incidental, nonessential
not of prime or central importance; dispensable
capable of being dispensed with or done without; expendable
suitable to be expended; unimportant
not important; extrinsic
not forming an essential part of a thing or arising or originating from the outside; unnecessary, unneeded
not necessary; secondary
being of second rank or importance or value; not direct or immediate; show more antonyms...