| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | element |
| Synonyms: | board, component, division, essential, factor, fixins, fraction, ingredient, makings, part, part and parcel, plug-in, portion, principle, unit |
| Antonyms: | whole |
| Main Entry: | criterion |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | test, gauge for judgment |
| Synonyms: | archetype, basis, benchmark, canon, example, exemplar, fact, foundation, law, measure, model, norm, opinion, original, paradigm, pattern, point of comparison, precedent, principle, proof, prototype, rule, scale, standard, touchstone, yardstick |
| Antonyms: | change, conjecture, fancy, guess, possibility, probability |
| Main Entry: | dictate |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | command; rule |
| Synonyms: | behest, bidding, code, decree, dictum, direction, edict, fiat, injunction, law, mandate, order, ordinance, precept, principle, requirement, statute, ultimatum, word |
| Antonyms: | request |
| Main Entry: | discovery |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | treasure; invention |
| Synonyms: | algorithm, bonanza*, breakthrough, conclusion, contrivance, coup, data, design, device, find, finding, formula, godsend, innovation, law, luck, luck out, machine, method, principle, process, result, secret, theorem, way |
| Antonyms: | loss |
| Main Entry: | element |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | essential feature |
| Synonyms: | aspect, basic, basis, bit, component, constituent, detail, drop, facet, factor, fundamental, hint, ingredient, item, material, matter, member, part, particle, particular, piece, portion, principle, root, section, stem, subdivision, trace, unit, view |
| Main Entry: | elixir |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | remedy |
| Synonyms: | cure-all, elixir of life, extract, medicine, mixture, panacea, philosopher's stone, potion, principle, solution |
| Main Entry: | essence |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | heart, significance |
| Synonyms: | aspect, attribute, backbone, base, basis, be-all and end-all, being, bottom, bottom line, burden, caliber, character, chief constituent, constitution, core, crux, element, entity, essentia, essentiality, fiber, form, fundamentals, germ, grain, kernel, life, lifeblood, main idea, marrow, meaning, meat*, name of game, nature, nitty-gritty, nub, nucleus, pith, point, principle, property, quality, quiddity, quintessence, reality, root, soul, spirit, structure, stuff, substance, timber, vein, virtuality |
| Main Entry: | essential |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | necessity, basic |
| Synonyms: | ABCs, bottom line, brass tacks, condition, element, essence, fire and ice, fundamental, groceries, guts*, heart, meat and potatoes, must, name of the game, nitty-gritty, nuts and bolts, part and parcel, precondition, prerequisite, principle, quintessence, requirement, requisite, rudiment, sine qua non, stuff, substance, vital part, where one's at |
| Notes: | the words crucial, essential, and vital cannot be qualified (cannot be more or less...) |
| Antonyms: | accessory, auxiliary, nonessential, subsidiary, throwaway, trivia |
| Main Entry: | faith |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | belief in a higher being; community of believers |
| Synonyms: | canon, church, communion, confession, connection, conviction, credo, creed, cult, denomination, doctrine, dogma, doxy, gospel, orthodoxy, persuasion, piety, piousness, principle, profession, religion, revelation, sect, teaching, tenet, theism, theology, worship |
| Antonyms: | agnosticism, denial, doubt, rejection, skepticism, unbelief |