| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | indispensable content |
| Synonyms: | basis, conclusion, core, crux, determination, essence, fiber, final decision, fundamentals, income, key point, last word, loss, main idea, main point, main thing, meat and potatoes, name of the game, net, nitty-gritty, nuts and bolts, point, profit, reality, sum and substance, what it's all about, whole story |
| Main Entry: | necessary |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | essential |
| Synonyms: | all-important, basic, binding, bottom-line, cardinal, chief, compelling, compulsory, crucial, de rigueur, decisive, elementary, exigent, expedient, fundamental, imperative, incumbent on, indispensable, mandatory, momentous, name of game, needed, needful, obligatory, paramount, prerequisite, pressing, prime, principal, quintessential, required, requisite, significant, specified, unavoidable, urgent, vital, wanted |
| Antonyms: | inessential, unimportant, unnecessary, useless |
| Main Entry: | underlying |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | fundamental, latent |
| Synonyms: | basal, basic, bottom, bottom-line, cardinal, concealed, critical, crucial, elemental, elementary, essential, hidden, indispensable, intrinsic, lurking, necessary, needful, nitty-gritty, nub, primary, prime, primitive, radical, root, substratal, veiled, vital |
| Antonyms: | secondary |
| Main Entry: | vital |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | essential |
| Synonyms: | basic, bottom-line, cardinal, coal-and-ice, constitutive, critical, crucial, decisive, fundamental, heavy*, imperative, important, indispensable, integral, key, life-or-death, meaningful, meat-and-potatoes, name, name-of-the-game, necessary, needed, nitty-gritty, prerequisite, required, requisite, significant, underlined, urgent |
| Notes: | the words crucial, essential, and vital cannot be qualified (cannot be more or less...) |
| Antonyms: | inessential, insignficant, trivial, unimportant |