es-sen-tial (i-senshl)adj. 1. Constituting or being part of the essence of something; inherent. 2. Basic or indispensable; necessary: essential ingredients. See Synonyms at indispensable. 3. Medicine. Of, relating to, or being a dysfunctional condition or a disease whose cause is unknown: essential hypertension. 4. Biochemistry. Being a substance that is required for normal functioning but cannot be synthesized by the body and therefore must be included in the diet.n. 1. Something fundamental. 2. Something necessary or indispensable.–es-sen’ti-al’i-ty (-she-ali-te). or es-sen’tial-ness n. –es-sen’tial-ly adv.
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Excerpted from American Heritage Talking Dictionary
Copyright © 1997 The Learning Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
es-sen-tial (i-senshl).An irreducible constituent of an entity : element, basic, essential, fundamental, rudiment, core, base. Something indispensable : necessity, essential, must, precondition, prerequisite, something needed, exigency, requirement, sine qua non. An indispensable component : essential, basic, cornerstone, fundamental, keystone, necessity, prerequisite, requirement, requisite, sine qua non, extra, option. Something required : necessity, basic, essential, fundamental, prerequisite, requirement, sine qua non, must, exigency. Requisite. adj.necessary, required, essential, demanded, in order, needed.Antonyms: unnecessary, unneeded, superfluous.
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Excerpted from American Heritage Talking Dictionary
Copyright © 1997 The Learning Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
lib-er-ty (libr-te)n.pl. lib-er-ties. 1. The condition of being free from restriction or control. The right and power to act, believe, or express oneself in a manner of one’s own choosing. The condition of being physically and legally free from confinement, servitude, or forced labor. See Synonyms at freedom. 2. Freedom from unjust or undue governmental control. 3. A right and power to engage in certain actions without control or interference: the liberties protected by the Bill of Rights. 4. Often liberties A breach or overstepping of propriety or social convention. A statement, an attitude, or an action not warranted by conditions or actualities: a historical novel that takes liberties with chronology. An unwarranted risk; a chance: took foolish liberties on the ski slopes. 5. A period, usually short, during which a sailor is authorized to go ashore. –idiom. at liberty. 6. Not in confinement or under constraint; free. 7. Not employed, occupied, or in use.[Middle English liberte, from Old French, from Latin libertas, from liber, free. See leudh-.]
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Excerpted from American Heritage Talking Dictionary
Copyright © 1997 The Learning Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
lib-er-ty (libr-te).The capacity to manage one’s affairs and make decisions : independence, autonomy, freedom, liberty, self-determination, self-reliance, self-rule.Antonyms: dependency, dependence. The condition of being politically free : autonomy, autarky, freedom, home rule, independence, liberty, self-determination, self-government, self-rule, sovereignty.
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Excerpted from American Heritage Talking Dictionary
Copyright © 1997 The Learning Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.