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essential

 [uh-sen-shuhl]   Example Sentences Origin

es·sen·tial

   [uh-sen-shuhl]
adjective
1.
absolutely necessary; indispensable: Discipline is essential in an army.
2.
pertaining to or constituting the essence of a thing.
3.
noting or containing an essence of a plant, drug, etc.
4.
being such by its very nature or in the highest sense; natural; spontaneous: essential happiness.
5.
Mathematics.
a.
(of a singularity of a function of a complex variable) noting that the Laurent series at the point has an infinite number of terms with negative powers.
b.
(of a discontinuity) noting that the function is discontinuous and has no limit at the point. Compare removable (def. 2).
noun
6.
a basic, indispensable, or necessary element; chief point: Concentrate on essentials rather than details.

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Essential is always a great word to know.
So is mean. Does it mean:
problem solving defined only for an isolated set of points, using only arithmetic and algebra; not involving calculus
an average, especially the arithmetic average
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Origin:
1300–50; Middle English essencial < Medieval Latin essenciālis for Late Latin essentiālis. See essence, -al1

Related forms
es·sen·tial·ly, adverb
es·sen·tial·ness, noun
pre·es·sen·tial, noun, adjective
pre·es·sen·tial·ly, adverb
qua·si-es·sen·tial, adjective
EXPAND
qua·si-es·sen·tial·ly, adverb
sub·es·sen·tial, adjective
sub·es·sen·tial·ly, adverb
sub·es·sen·tial·ness, noun
COLLAPSE

Synonyms
1. fundamental, basic, inherent, intrinsic, vital. See necessary. 2. Essential, inherent, intrinsic refer to that which is in the natural composition of a thing. Essential suggests that which is in the very essence or constitution of a thing: Oxygen and hydrogen are essential in water. Inherent means inborn or fixed from the beginning as a permanent quality or constituent of a thing: properties inherent in iron. Intrinsic implies belonging to the nature of a thing itself, and comprised within it, without regard to external considerations or accidentally added properties: the intrinsic value of diamonds.

Antonyms
2. incidental, extraneous, extrinsic; accidental.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To essential
Example Sentences
  • The ability to maintain organized records is essential.
  • The essential ones stay on board.
  • Self control is an essential element of self respect.
EXPAND
Collins
World English Dictionary
essential (ɪˈsɛnʃəl)
 
—adj
1.  vitally important; absolutely necessary
2.  basic; fundamental: the essential feature
3.  completely realized; absolute; perfect: essential beauty
4.  biochem (of an amino acid or a fatty acid) necessary for the normal growth of an organism but not synthesized by the organism and therefore required in the diet
5.  derived from or relating to an extract of a plant, drug, etc: an essential oil
6.  logic (of a property) guaranteed by the identity of the subject; necessary. Thus, if having the atomic number 79 is an essential property of gold, nothing can be gold unless it has that atomic number
7.  music denoting or relating to a note that belongs to the fundamental harmony of a chord or piece
8.  pathol (of a disease) having no obvious external cause: essential hypertension
9.  geology (of a mineral constituent of a rock) necessary for defining the classification of a rock. Its absence alters the rock's name and classification
 
—n
10.  something fundamental or indispensable: a sharp eye is an essential for a printer
11.  music an essential note
 
essentiality
 
—n
 
es'sentialness
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

essential
mid-14c., "that is such by its essence," from L.L. essentialis, from essentia (see essence). Meaning "pertaining to essence" is from late 14c., that of "constituting the essence of something" is from 1540s; that of "necessary" is from 1520s. Essentials "indispensible elements"
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is from early 16c. Related: Essentially; essentialism (1939); essentialist..
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

essential es·sen·tial (ĭ-sěn'shəl)
adj.

  1. Constituting or being part of the essence of something; inherent.

  2. Basic or indispensable; necessary.

  3. Of, relating to, or being a dysfunctional condition or a disease whose cause is unknown.

  4. Of, relating to, or being a substance that is required for normal functioning but cannot be synthesized by the body and therefore must be included in the diet.

n.

  1. Something fundamental.

  2. Something necessary or indispensable.

es·sen'ti·al'i·ty (-shē-āl'ĭ-tē) or es·sen'tial·ness n.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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