essential

Pronunciation: /ɪˈsen.ʃəl/

adjective

Definition of essential

Absolutely necessary; extremely important

Synonyms for essential

essential in a Sentence

  1. Good communication skills are essential for success in any career.

Why essential Matters for GRE & SAT

"essential" is a adjective that means "Absolutely necessary; extremely important" closely related to words like "vital", "necessary", "crucial". As a word starting with E, it belongs to a cluster of GRE and SAT vocabulary that test-takers often encounter in Verbal Reasoning, Text Completion, and Reading Comprehension sections.

On the GRE, understanding "essential" helps you distinguish between closely related answer choices in Sentence Equivalence questions. On the SAT, recognizing this word in context strengthens your performance on Craft & Structure and Words in Context questions. Seeing how "essential" is used in sentences — like the examples above — builds the contextual understanding that standardized tests reward.

Study tip: Start with the definition and part of speech (adjective). Then learn its 3 synonyms to build a word network. Finally, practice with spaced repetition to move "essential" into long-term memory.

How to Remember essential

One effective way to remember "essential" (adjective) is to group it with similar words you already know: "vital" and "necessary" and "crucial". When you encounter "essential" on a test, these synonym connections help you quickly recall its meaning — "Absolutely necessary; extremely important".

Use flashcard apps with spaced repetition to review "essential" at increasing intervals until it becomes automatic.

  • ebullient — cheerful and joyful
  • eccentric — deviating from conventional behavior; quirky
  • echelon — a level or tier within a system or organization
  • eclectic — Deriving ideas or style from a broad and diverse range of sources
  • eclipse — overshadow or surpass

More Vocabulary Words Starting with E

  • ebullient — cheerful and joyful
  • ebullient — cheerful and joyful
  • eccentric — deviating from conventional behavior; quirky
  • eccentric — deviating from conventional behavior; quirky
  • echelon — a level or tier within a system or organization
  • echelon — a level or tier within a system or organization
  • eclectic — Deriving ideas or style from a broad and diverse range of sources
  • eclectic — derived from a diverse range of sources or styles
  • eclectic — derived from a diverse range of sources or styles
  • eclipse — overshadow or surpass

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