1es·sen·tial 
/ɪˈsɛnʃəl/ adjective
/ɪˈsɛnʃəl/ adjective [more essential; most essential] 1 : extremely important and necessary
▪ As a fighter pilot, he knows that good vision is essential. ▪ Reservations are essential [=necessary, needed] if you plan to eat there on a Saturday. — often + to or for ▪ The river is essential to the region's economy. ▪ Food is essential [=necessary] for life. — often followed by to + verb ▪ It is essential to use the proper technique. ▪ It's essential to arrive on time. — often + that ▪ It's essential that we arrive on time. 2 : very basic : fundamental
▪ Free speech is an essential right of citizenship. ▪ The essential problem with this plan is that it will cost too much. ▪ There's no essential difference between the two products.
▪ As a fighter pilot, he knows that good vision is essential. ▪ Reservations are essential [=necessary, needed] if you plan to eat there on a Saturday. — often + to or for ▪ The river is essential to the region's economy. ▪ Food is essential [=necessary] for life. — often followed by to + verb ▪ It is essential to use the proper technique. ▪ It's essential to arrive on time. — often + that ▪ It's essential that we arrive on time.
▪ Free speech is an essential right of citizenship. ▪ The essential problem with this plan is that it will cost too much. ▪ There's no essential difference between the two products.
— es·sen·tial·ly /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/ adverb [more essentially; most essentially]
▪ All action movies have essentially [=basically, fundamentally] the same plot. ▪ What he says is essentially true.
/ɪˈsɛnʃəli/ adverb [more essentially; most essentially] ▪ All action movies have essentially [=basically, fundamentally] the same plot. ▪ What he says is essentially true.
— es·sen·tial·ness /ɪˈsɛnʃəlnəs/ noun [noncount]
/ɪˈsɛnʃəlnəs/ noun [noncount]
