utterly essential

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "utterly essential" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize the importance or necessity of something in a strong manner. Example: "In order to succeed in this project, having a clear plan is utterly essential."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

Utterly essential reading.

Independent

Three things utterly essential to research.

The Guardian

Cult Cosmetics Besides being utterly essential, certain cosmetics acquire fetish status.

The New York Times - Magazine

The lesson of the 1930s is that free trade, far from being a luxury affordable only when times are good, becomes utterly essential when times are bad.

The Economist

"I think it is utterly essential that we stay in the EU and it is not clear that as leader he would maintain that position, so it entirely depends on the programme that he chooses to pursue if he becomes leader.

The Guardian

Clarke's "The Cool World" (which is very high on my list of utterly essential D.V.D. releases — it's not available now), set in Harlem, looks at a black teen-ager who wants to get hold of a gun and become a gang leader.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

Among them: Due diligence, while utterly out of fashion during the bubble years, is absolutely essential for investors, potential executives and entrepreneurs.

Forbes

(While in formal disagreement with some of the entries in Table 1 in an utterly non-essential way, one is free to choose the settings of mp, op and oc Bravais lattices as one pleases).

Advanced Structural and Chemical Imaging

Tsongkhapa makes it abundantly clear that in his view not only is the intellectual act itself utterly devoid of any essential reality, even the sense-faculties (the complex eye, ear and so on) also lack any essential reality, never mind the sense data they convey to the knowing individual.

SEP

The sound is real and essential and utterly irrelevant.

The New Yorker

Hedgehogs are important; they are an essential and utterly unmistakable connection with the natural world.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "utterly essential" to add emphasis when describing something that is not just important, but absolutely crucial and indispensable. This phrase is best used when the absence of the subject would lead to failure or a significant negative outcome.

Common error

Avoid using "utterly essential" when describing something that is merely helpful or beneficial. The phrase is strong and should be reserved for situations where the subject is truly indispensable to avoid sounding hyperbolic or exaggerating its importance.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "utterly essential" functions as an intensifying adjective phrase. It modifies a noun to emphasize that the noun is not just important but absolutely necessary. As Ludwig AI confirms, this usage is both grammatically correct and frequent.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Science

15%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "utterly essential" is an intensifying adjective phrase used to emphasize the critical importance and indispensability of something. It is grammatically correct and frequently used, as affirmed by Ludwig. While suitable for neutral to professional contexts, it should be reserved for situations where the subject is truly indispensable to avoid overemphasis. Alternatives like "absolutely crucial" or "completely vital" can be used for similar emphasis. This phrase appears most commonly in news and media sources. Overusing "utterly essential" may dilute its impact, therefore, reserve its usage when it is really needed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

absolutely crucial

Replaces "essential" with "crucial" and "utterly" with "absolutely", intensifying the necessity.

completely vital

Substitutes "essential" for "vital" and "utterly" for "completely", indicating indispensable importance.

entirely necessary

Replaces "essential" with "necessary" and "utterly" with "entirely", focusing on the unavoidable nature.

indispensable

Uses a single word to replace the entire phrase, indicating something is absolutely required.

critically important

Replaces "essential" with "important" and "utterly" with "critically", highlighting the significance.

of utmost importance

Expresses a very high degree of importance or necessity.

paramount

A single word emphasizing supreme importance or dominance.

vitally important

Similar to "critically important" but uses "vitally" to emphasize life-dependent necessity.

fundamentally crucial

Similar to "absolutely crucial" but uses "fundamentally" to suggest that the essential item or act is a basic condition.

absolutely required

Emphasizes that something is not optional but mandatory.

FAQs

What does "utterly essential" mean?

"Utterly essential" means something is absolutely necessary or indispensable. It emphasizes that something is not just important, but critically required.

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

You can use "utterly essential" to describe things that are crucial for success or survival. For example: "Having a solid understanding of mathematics is "absolutely crucial" for engineers."

What are some alternatives to "utterly essential"?

Some alternatives to "utterly essential" include "absolutely crucial", "completely vital", or "entirely necessary". These phrases all convey a similar sense of critical importance.

Is there a difference between "essential" and "utterly essential"?

While "essential" indicates something is important, "utterly essential" intensifies the importance, suggesting that it's indispensable and critically necessary. The addition of "utterly" increases the emphasis.