Dictionary definition · essential
noun
- anything indispensable"food and shelter are necessities of life"
adjective
- absolutely necessary; vitally necessary"essential tools and materials"
- basic and fundamental"the essential feature"
- of the greatest importance"the all-important subject of disarmament"
- being or relating to or containing the essence of a plant etc"essential oil"
- defining rights and duties as opposed to giving the rules by which rights and duties are established"substantive law"
Similar words
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).