a. and sb. Forms: 4–6 essenciall(e, -yal(l, (4 escencyalle, 6 assencial), 6–7 essentiall, 6– essential. In B 2 also aphet. sensual. [ad. late L. essentiālis, f. essentia ESSENCE: cf. Pr. essencial, Sp. esencial, It. essenziale.]
A. adj.
1. In various senses related to ESSENCE sb. 1–4.
a. That is such by essence, or in the absolute or highest sense.
c. 1340. Hampole, Prose Tr. (1866), 16. Þe souerayne and þe escencyalle joy es in þe lufe of Godd by hymselfe and for hym-selfe, and þe secundarye es in [etc.].
1817. Coleridge, Biog. Lit., I. i. 22. The poem … to which we return … claims the name of essential poetry.
1877. Sparrow, Serm., xv. 203. As the love of God is essential happiness, sin, which is enmity to him, is essential misery, eternal misery.
† b. Having existence, real, actual. Also, identical with what now exists. Obs.
1535. Act 27 Hen. VIII., c. 27. Monasteries … which the kinges maiestie … shall declare and limittee to continue and be in their assencial estate. Ibid., c. 28 § 3. As if the same monasteryes … hadde contynued in ther essencyall bodyes and states that thei now be or were in.
1552. Bk. Com. Prayer, Communion. Anye reall and essenciall presence.
a. 1635. Corbet, Poems, 62. Was his essential table full and free As boasts and invitations used to be?
† c. Relating to position in the scale of being. Obs. rare.
1677. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., I. vi. 122. The production of Creatures of various degrees of essential perfection.
† d. Dependent on the intrinsic character or condition of anything, not on extraneous circumstances. Of diseases: Idiopathic (cf. ESSENCE 3 b). Essential merit (Theol.) = ‘merit of condignity,’ the merit belonging to good works in proportion to their intrinsic excellence; so Essential reward.
1502. Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W., 1506), IV. iv. 172. He shall not be rewarded of meryte essencyall for those werkes done in deedly synne.
1560. trans. Fisher On Prayer, D viij. Euerie merit … whiche is recompensed by essentiall rewarde (as they call it) in heauen.
c. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, II. (1593), 50 (Webster). Or is it true thou weart neuer but a vaine name, and no essentiall thing…?
1875. Lyell, Princ. Geol., I. I. iii. 28. Mountains are formed, he [Avicenna] says, some by essential, others by accidental causes.
1884. Syd. Soc. Lex., Essential disease, a disease complete in itself, and not depending on, or symptomatic of another.
e. Essential debility, dignity (Astrol.): see the sbs.
† f. With descriptive sbs.: Thorough, entire.
1604. Dekker, Honest Wh., Wks. 1873, II. 31. Oh he’s a most essentiall gentleman, coz.
1721. Cibber, Woman’s Wit, III. Dear Ladies, your most essential humble Servant.
2. Of or pertaining to essence, specific being, or intrinsic nature. Essential difference (Logic): = ‘specific difference,’ DIFFERENTIA. Essential character: in scientific classification, the marks that distinguish a species, genus, etc., from the others included with it in the next superior division. Essential proposition (Logic): one that predicates of a subject something that is implied in its definition. † Essential name (Theol.): see quot. 1398. Essential form (Metaph.): see FORM.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., I. (1495), 7. The names signyfienge or betokenynge the dyuyne essence or beynge ben callid names essencialles.
1590. Marlowe, 2nd Pt. Tamburl., IV. ii. The essential forme of Marble stone, Temper’d by science metaphysical.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., I. ii. (1611), 4. In which essentiall vnitie of God.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. iv. § 8. F 2. Deceit or vntruth … doth destroy the essentiall fourme of knowledge; which is nothing but a representation of truth.
1628. T. Spencer, Logick, 4. [The copula] signifies an essentiall attribution (that is) that, the latter part of the definition doth giue being vnto the former.
1656. Bramhall, Replic., i. 3. Rationability … is a substantiall part of a man, because it is a part of his definition, or his essentiall difference.
1687. Death’s Vis., vii. note (1713), 6. Essential Forms I say, rather than Substantial.
1736. Butler, Anal., I. iii. 63. Its [Virtue’s] having, in the essential Nature of the thing, a Tendency to procure them [Superiority and Advantages].
1776. Withering, Brit. Plants (1796), I. 212. The nectary gives the essential character.
1846. Mill, Logic, I. vi. § 4. An essential proposition then, is one which is purely verbal.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 178. The desire to ascertain the relations of virtue and the essential nature of virtue.
3. Constituting, or forming part of, the essence of anything; belonging to a thing by virtue of its essence; necessarily implied in its definition; indispensably entering into its composition.
1546. Langley, Pol. Verg. De Invent., IV. i. 82. His only begotten son equal to him in essential power.
1596. Spenser, Hymn Heav. Beauty, xvi. Those essentiall parts of his, His truth, his love, his wisedome, and his blis.
1661. Bramhall, Just Vind., vii. 225. By the Law of Nature as an essential right of Soveraignty.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., III. vi. § 4 (1695), 246. The thought of any thing essential to any of them, instantly vanishes.
1705. Stanhope, Paraphr., I. 54. The Glory of God is so exquisite in itself and so Essential to Him, that [etc.].
1862. Sir B. Brodie, Psychol. Inq., II. i. 9. The desire of reputation … is an essential part of human nature.
1878. Tait & Stewart, Unseen Univ., i. 23. In the essential immortality of the soul.
b. Affecting the essence of anything; ‘material,’ important.
1770. Junius Lett., xli. 209. You have done essential service to the cause.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., III. 44. The piercing eye of the founder of the republic must have discerned two essential imperfections.
1794. Burke, Rep. Lords’ Jrnls., Wks. 1842, II. 617. To have adopted the civil law with no very essential variation.
1871. Blackie, Four Phases, I. 142. It is not in the nature of things that a better man should receive essential harm from a worse.
4. Absolutely necessary, indispensably requisite.
Essential vows: the three vows (of chastity, poverty and obedience) indispensable to the monastic life.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 151 b. The lyfe of religyous persones, that professeth the thre essencyall vowes.
1612. Bp. Hall, Pref. to Brinsley’s Lud. Lit. Those sciences which are so Essentiall to the Spirituall house of God.
1662. Gerbier, Princ., 4. Such Builders confound the first and essential point of Building, (to wit, Solidity, with Ornament and Conveniency).
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 279, ¶ 8. That serious Air which seems essential to the Magnificence of an Epic Poem.
1807. T. Thomson, Chem. (ed. 3), II. 85. Silica … is an essential ingredient in mortar.
1858. Buckle, Civiliz. (1873), II. viii. 425. Propositions which I hold to be most essential for a right understanding of history.
1874. Micklethwaite, Mod. Par. Churches, 223. The essential quality of a monument is permanence.
b. Music. Essential chord, in early use = common chord; in later use = FUNDAMENTAL, opp. to accidental (see quot. 1806). Essential harmony (see quot. 1851). Essential notes: the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of a chord. Essential sharps and flats (see quot. 1806).
1721. A. Malcolm, Treat. Mus. (1730), 277. Of the natural Notes of every Mode or Octave, Three go under the Name of the essential Notes, in a peculiar Manner, viz. the Fundamental, the 3d, and 5th.
1806. Calcott, Mus. Gram. (1817), 55. Sharps or flats … which occur in the course of the Movement … are termed accidental, to distinguish them from those of the Signature, which are essential to the Scale of the original key note. Ibid., 202. His [Kirnberger’s] arrangement of Chords, into essential and accidental.
1851. Warner, trans. Weber’s Th. Composition, 258. There are only certain particular harmonies, which belong to any one particular key…. These are called the Essential harmonies of the key.
1879. Grove, Dict. Mus., I. 679/1. s.v. Harmony, The use of preliminary notes a semitone above or below any note of an essential chord.
5. That is of the nature of, or resembles, an essence or extract (see ESSENCE 10); that is in a state of essence.
1641. French, Distill., v. (1651), 113. This Spirit contains in it … essentiall Sulphur.
1673. Grew, Anat. Plants, II. i. v. § 16 (1682), 78. In the Vessels, a more Essential Liquor:… in the Fibres, a more Simple and Essential Aer.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 120, ¶ 2. They filled his apartments with alexipharmics, restoratives, and essential virtues.
1832. Wordsw., Devot. Incitements. From humble violet—modest thyme—Exhaled, the essential odours climb.
b. Essential oil, a volatile oil, obtained by distillation, and marked by the characteristic odor of the plant or substance from which it is extracted; as the oil of laurel, oil of turpentine, etc. Now often as a synonym of ‘volatile oil.’
1674. Grew, Anat. Plants, Lect. i. (1682), 237. Having … made mention of the preparation of Essential Oyls.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., VI. § 14. The soul of any plant … is neither more nor less than its essential oil.
1813. Sir H. Davy, Agric. Chem. (1814), 102. Volatile oil, likewise called essential oil, differs from fixed oil, in being capable of evaporation by a much lower degree of heat.
1859. Gullick & Timbs, Paint., 208. The Volatile or Essential Oils are destitute of the strength of the fixed oils.
1867. J. Hogg, Microsc., I. iii. 205. Sections of woods … containing gum, resin, &c., should be soaked in essential oil, alcohol, or ether.
† c. Essential salt (see quot.). Obs.
1715. in Kersey.
1718. Quincy, Compl. Disp., 9. The essential salt is that which is obtain’d by Chrystallization from the Juices of Plants.
1800. trans. Lagrange’s Chem., II. 181. What the first chemists called, in general, the Essential Salts of Vegetables.
6. quasi-adv. = ESSENTIALLY.
1827. Pollok, Course T., X. His face with clouds Of glory circled round, essential bright.
B. sb.
† 1. What exists; existence, being. Obs.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 93. His utmost ire … Will … quite consume us, and reduce To nothing this essential.
2. Something belonging to the essence of a thing; an indispensable element or adjunct; also, in weaker sense, a chief or leading point. Orig. only in pl.; in later use, occas. sing. † b. pl. = Essential vows; see A 4.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, 2372. Euer after to obserue the essencyals thre. Ibid., 1913. The sensuals thre.
a. 1619. Fotherby, Atheom., I. iv. § 3 (1622), 23. Vowes, & invocations, and other the Essentials of religion.
1750. Harris, Hermes, Wks. (1841), 167. These matters … being rather among the elegancies, than the essentials of language.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 266. If … all our essentials had duly performed their duties, we could have reaped little advantage from them.
1815. Scott, Guy M., xxxiii. ‘Well, well,’ said Glossin, ‘no occasion to be particular, tell the essentials.’
1848. Mill, Pol. Econ., I. vii. § 1. 119. Natural motive powers … are a help, but not an essential, of production.
1850. Mrs. Jameson, Leg. Monast. Ord. (1863), 230. The distinction between the Franciscans and Dominicans lay not in essentials, but merely in point of discipline.
1860–1. Flor. Nightingale, Nursing, ii. 7. The first essential to the patient, without which all the rest … is as nothing.
1873. H. Spencer, Study Sociol., v. 111. A tendency … to be blinded by exterior trivialities to interior essentials.
† 3. pl. Inmost nature; ‘vitals.’ Obs. rare.
1692. South, 12 Serm., 87 (J.). The plague of sin has even altered his nature, and eaten into his very essentials.
