essential element

British  

noun

1. biochem any chemical element required by an organism for healthy growth. It may be required in large amounts (macronutrient) or in very small amounts (trace element) See also macronutrient trace element

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Example Sentences

Petroleum is an essential element in modern industry, whether used as a fuel, a lubricant or an ingredient in plastics and chemicals.

From Barron's

But if you say you’re fighting a war on behalf of a country’s oppressed people, it’s a good idea—in fact, it is an essential element of the war strategy—to think about this problem.

From Slate

The doxing charge recently was dropped by prosecutors after it was determined Brown had not revealed the agent’s home address, an essential element of the alleged crime, according to motions filed in that case.

From Los Angeles Times

It includes Sontag’s “Notes on ‘Camp,’” among whose 58 numbered observations is: “In naïve, or pure, Camp, the essential element is seriousness, a seriousness that fails.”

From The Wall Street Journal

An ancient string instrument evolved into the flat-top acoustic guitar—an essential element in American folk, blues and rock.

From The Wall Street Journal