essential

adj 1: absolutely necessary; vitally necessary; "essential tools

and materials"; "funds essential to the completion of

the project"; "an indispensable worker" [syn: {indispensable}]

2: basic and fundamental; "the essential feature" [ant: {inessential}]

3: of the greatest importance; "the all-important subject of

disarmament"; "crucial information"; "in chess cool nerves

are of the essence" [syn: {all-important(a)}, {all

important(p)}, {crucial}, {of the essence(p)}]

4: being or relating to or containing the essence of a plant

etc; "essential oil"

5: (law) applying to essential legal principles and rules of

right; "substantive law" [syn: {substantive}] [ant: {adjective}]

6: absolutely required and not to be used up or sacrificed

n : anything indispensable; "food and shelter are necessities of

life"; "the essentials of the good life"; "allow farmers

to buy their requirements under favorable conditions"; "a

place where the requisites of water fuel and fodder can

be obtained" [syn: {necessity}, {requirement}, {requisite},

{necessary}] [ant: {inessential}]