WordWeb Online

1. Absolutely necessary; vitally necessary
   "essential tools and materials"; "funds essential to the completion of the project"
   - indispensable
    
2. Basic and fundamental
   "the essential feature"
    
3. Of the greatest importance
   - all-important, all important, crucial, of the essence
    
4. Being or relating to or containing the essence of a plant etc
   "essential oil"
    
5. Defining rights and duties as opposed to giving the rules by which rights and duties are established
   - substantive

1. Anything indispensable
   "the essentials of the good life"
   - necessity, requirement, requisite, necessary

Derived forms: essentials

See also: basal, biogenic, constituent, constitutional, constitutive, crucial, essence, essentially, essentialness, important, indispensable, intrinsic, intrinsical, life-sustaining, must, necessary, no-frills, of import, organic, primary, staple, substantial, substantive, unexpendable, virtual, vital

Type of: thing

Antonym: inessential

Encyclopedia: Essential