Synonyms

essential element

British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Leverage in the Middle East is thus an essential element of East Asian statecraft and broader Eurasian order.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

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 • Mar. 13, 2026

They’re an essential element of our democracy—of seeking justice and redress when a real wrong has been done to you, when your civil rights have been violated, when you’ve been a victim of a crime.

From Slate • Aug. 4, 2025

Hudson’s keyboard was an essential element of the Band’s sound on roots-rock classics such as ‘The Weight’ and ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.’

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2025

This was a reminder that an essential element of surveillance was disappearing into the background.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023