Essential and Supplementary

Essential

Essential adjective - Impossible to do without.

Supplementary is an antonym for essential.

Nearby Words: essence, essentially, essentiality

Supplementary

Supplementary adjective - Available to supply something extra when needed.
Usage example: the teacher's edition of the textbook comes with a lot of supplementary material

Essential is an antonym for supplementary.

Both words in one sentence

  • While not strictly essential, you'll have a much clearer idea about what is going on in Sailor Sun if you read the supplementary sections of the website.
  • Disney / Zootopia The supplementary book Zootopia: The Essential Guide notes that Judy's mother, Bonnie, can always tell if her children feel bad by the way their ears droop.
Cite this Source
Supplementary and Essential. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/essential/supplementary
Essential & Supplementary. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/essential/supplementary>.
Supplementary or Essential. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/essential/supplementary.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "essential" and "supplementary" have occurred on timeline