essential (n.)
- axiom
- basic
- bedrock
- capital
- cardinal
- center
- central
- chief
- climax
- condition
- constituent
- constitutional
- core
- cornerstone
- crisis
- crux
- demand
- desideratum
- element
- elixir
- essence
- flower
- focus
- fundamental
- gist
- gut
- heart
- homespun
- hypostasis
- imperative
- innate
- issue
- kernel
- key
- keystone
- landmark
- leading
- main
- marrow
- material
- meat
- mere
- milestone
- must
- necessary
- necessity
- need
- nub
- nucleus
- occasion
- original
- pith
- pivot
- plain
- postulate
- prerequisite
- primary
- prime
- primitive
- principal
- principle
- pure
- quid
- quiddity
- quintessence
- radical
- requirement
- requisite
- requisition
- rudiment
- sap
- simple
- single
- soul
- spare
- spirit
- stuff
- substance
- substantive
- uniform
- vital
- want
essential (adj.)
- austere
- bare
- basal
- basic
- basilar
- capital
- cardinal
- center
- central
- chaste
- chief
- condition
- congenital
- connate
- constituent
- constitutional
- constitutive
- core
- deep-seated
- demand
- elemental
- elementary
- essence
- focal
- foremost
- fundamental
- heart
- homely
- homespun
- homogeneous
- imperative
- important
- inborn
- inbred
- indicated
- indispensable
- indivisible
- innate
- intrinsic
- irreducible
- irreplaceable
- key
- leading
- life-and-death
- life-or-death
- main
- material
- mere
- monolithic
- must
- necessary
- necessitous
- need
- needed
- needful
- nub
- original
- plain
- prerequisite
- primal
- primary
- prime
- primitive
- principal
- pure
- quid
- quintessential
- radical
- required
- requisite
- right-hand
- rudimentary
- severe
- simple
- single
- spare
- stark
- substantial
- substantive
- unadorned
- uncluttered
- underlying
- undifferentiated
- uniform
- vital
- wanted
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
