essentials
Things you need
Essentials are the things you absolutely need—the basics without which something cannot function or survive.
Food, water, and shelter are essentials for human life.
We packed only the essentials for the trip.
The word often appears in product marketing to suggest necessity: kitchen essentials, summer essentials.
As an adjective, essential means fundamentally necessary: Sleep is essential for good health.
Small metal paper-binders
- must-havesIndispensable requirements
- requirementsNecessary conditions for something
- needsEssential requirements
- provisionsStockpiled food and supplies
supplies · basics · requisites · commodities · goods · resources · amenities · utilities
Core elements of something
- foundationUnderlying support structure
- principlesFoundational moral beliefs
- elementsFundamental parts or substances
- rudimentsElementary first principles
cornerstone · groundwork · introduction · 101 · abc · alphabet · scaffolding · skeleton
Essential or sustaining existence
- indispensableUtterly required, irreplaceable
- criticalExpressing disapproval or importance
- necessaryIndispensable, cannot omit
- keyLock-opening device
core · central · paramount · pivotal · fundamental · integral · imperative · mandatory
Protected place or structure
- waterClear essential liquid
- fireCombustion with flames
- foodConsumable nourishment source
- knifeSharp cutting utensil
rope · compass · flashlight · map · navigation · signaling · clothing · insulation
Lack of complexity
- declutterRemove unnecessary items
- spartanRigorously simple, unadorned
- streamlinedMade smooth and efficient
- pared-downSimplified by removal
bare · uncluttered · functional · curated · edited · stripped-back · intentional · purposeful
staples
Small metal paper-binders
- must-havesIndispensable requirements
- requirementsNecessary conditions for something
- needsEssential requirements
provisions · supplies · basics · requisites · commodities · goods · resources · amenities · utilities · toiletries
fundamentals
Core elements of something
- foundationUnderlying support structure
- principlesFoundational moral beliefs
- elementsFundamental parts or substances
rudiments · cornerstone · groundwork · introduction · 101 · abc · alphabet · scaffolding · skeleton · blueprint
vital
Essential or sustaining existence
- indispensableUtterly required, irreplaceable
- criticalExpressing disapproval or importance
- necessaryIndispensable, cannot omit
key · core · central · paramount · pivotal · fundamental · integral · imperative · mandatory · requisite
shelter
Protected place or structure
knife · rope · compass · flashlight · map · navigation · signaling · clothing · insulation · hydration
simplicity
Lack of complexity
- declutterRemove unnecessary items
- spartanRigorously simple, unadorned
- streamlinedMade smooth and efficient
pared-down · bare · uncluttered · functional · curated · edited · stripped-back · intentional · purposeful · capsule
- fundamentalsbasics, fundamentals, foundation, ABCs, rudiments
- Must-Havesnecessities, basics, needs, requirements, bare minimum
- necessitiesbasics, need, needs, necessities, requirement
- simplificationsimplification, simplifying, simplify, condensing, simplified
- desirablesmust-haves, favorites, picks, finds, gems
- overviewsoverview, summary, synopsis, outline, snapshot
essentialsnonessentials
Items not required
inessentials · luxuries · extras · frills · bells and whistles
essentialstrivia
Unimportant miscellaneous facts
trivialities · minutiae · incidentals · peripherals · side issues
- bare essentialsAbsolute minimum required
- essential oilsConcentrated plant-derived aromatics
- essential personnelStaff too vital to furlough
- non-essential goodsItems beyond basic needs
- essential workerVital occupation holder
- essential servicesIndispensable public functions
essential, essentially, nonessential, inessential, quintessential, essentiality, essentialism, essentialness, essentialize