become essential

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "become essential" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when describing something that is increasingly necessary or important over time. Example: "As technology advances, digital literacy has become essential for success in the modern workplace."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Finding hard-working pickers has become essential.

The Economist

Computation has become essential to biological research.

Cornell University

Harvey's starts have become essential viewing, too.

The New York Times - Sports

This has become essential in some utilities.

Water Supply

Appropriate assessment models then become essential.

Journal of Cleaner Production

The story, though grim indeed, should become essential reading.

The New York Times - Books

Palestinian statehood — alongside Israel's — has become essential to Herzl's dream.

The New York Times

For many companies, universities have become essential innovation partners.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Now more than ever, localized, intelligent change has become essential.

University of California, Berkeley

Repetition itself could become essential to this task.

The New York Times - Tech

But change will sooner or later become essential.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "become essential" when indicating a change over time. For instance, "As remote work becomes essential, companies must adapt their policies."

Common error

Avoid using "become essential" to describe something that has always been essential. Instead, use it to describe a change in status. For instance, instead of saying "Water has become essential for life", consider "Access to clean water is essential for life."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "become essential" functions as a predicate indicating a change in state. It signifies that something has transitioned to a state of necessity or critical importance. Ludwig provides numerous examples where this phrase describes such transformations across various domains.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

35%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "become essential" is grammatically sound and widely used to describe the growing importance or necessity of something. As Ludwig confirms, its usage spans various contexts including News & Media, Science, and Academia. While versatile, it's important to reserve it for situations where a genuine change in status occurs. Alternatives like "be increasingly crucial" and "grow indispensable" can offer nuanced variations of this concept.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

be increasingly crucial

Emphasizes the growing importance of something.

grow indispensable

Highlights the increasing difficulty of functioning without something.

prove vital

Underscores the life-supporting or critical nature of something.

turn into a necessity

Focuses on the transformation into something required, emphasizing the change in status.

emerge as critical

Suggests something newly arises or is recognized as important.

evolve into a requirement

Suggests a gradual development towards becoming a necessary condition.

be paramount

Highlights the supreme importance or dominance of something.

gain importance

Highlights the act of gaining relevance or significance over time.

assume significance

Focuses on the act of taking on a notable meaning or importance.

be key

Simpler way to express that something is critically important.

FAQs

How can I use "become essential" in a sentence?

Use "become essential" to describe a situation where something's importance has grown over time. For example, "In today's digital age, coding skills have "become essential" for many careers".

What can I say instead of "become essential"?

You can use alternatives like "be increasingly crucial", "grow indispensable", or "turn into a necessity" depending on the context.

What is the difference between "is essential" and "become essential"?

"Is essential" describes something that is currently necessary, while ""become essential"" describes a transition where something's importance has increased. For instance, "Basic reading skills are essential", but "Digital literacy has "become essential" in the 21st century".

Is it correct to say "became essential"?

Yes, "became essential" is the past tense of ""become essential"" and is grammatically correct. It is used to describe when something transitioned to being essential in the past.