essential
essential is defined in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913) with 7 senses, and appears in Roget's Thesaurus (1911) with 40 related terms. The full text of each entry is reproduced verbatim below.
Definitions
- 1.Hence, really existing; existent. Is it true, that thou art but a a name, And no essential thing Webster (1623).
- 2.Important in the highest degree; indispensable to the attainment of an object; indispensably necessary. Judgment's more essential to a general Than courage. Denham. How to live -- that is the essential question for us. H. Spencer.
- 3.Containing the essence or characteristic portion of a substance, as of a plant; highly rectified; pure; hence, unmixed; as, an essential oil. "Mine own essential horror." Ford.
- 4.(Mus.) Necessary; indispensable; -- said of those tones which constitute a chord, in distinction from ornamental or passing tones.
- 5.(Med.) Idiopathic; independent of other diseases. Essential character (Biol.), the prominent characteristics which serve to distinguish one genus, species, etc., from another. -- Essential disease, Essential fever (Med.), one that is not dependent on another. -- Essential oils (Chem.), a class of volatile oils, extracted from plants, fruits, or flowers, having each its characteristic odor, and hot burning taste. They are used in essences, perfumery, etc., and include many varieties of compounds; as lemon oil is a terpene, oil of bitter almonds an aldehyde, oil of wintergreen an ethereal salt, etc.; -- called also volatile oils in distinction from the fixed or nonvolatile.
- 6.Existence; being. [Obs.] Milton.
- 7.That which is essential; first or constituent principle; as, the essentials or religion.
Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
Synonyms
Related terms (Roget's 1911)
- able
- absorbing
- agalloch
- ambrosial
- and
- aroma
- aromatic
- article
- ask
- attar
- balm
- balmy
- bay
- being
- bergamot
- blood
- bodily
- body
- bottle
- bouquet
- calambac
- calambour
- call
- cannot
- case
- charge
- civet
- claim
- command
- corporeal
- corporeity
- create
- creature
- crying
- death
- deficiency
- demand
- desiderate
- desideratum
- desire
Source: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
Related questions
Reverse-dictionary questions
Definition-first questions whose answer is essential.
- What is hence, really existing; existent. Is it true, that thou art but a a name, And no essential thing Webster (1623) called?
- What is containing the essence or characteristic portion of a substance, as of a plant; highly rectified; pure; hence, unmixed; as, an essential oil. "Mine own essential horror." Ford called?
- What is necessary; indispensable; -- said of those tones which constitute a chord, in distinction from ornamental or passing tones called?
- What is that which is essential; first or constituent principle; as, the essentials or religion called?
Sources
- Definitions: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Synonyms & antonyms: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/word/essential
- Steward: Jason Burns