Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Extra
Explanation:
Given data
Concept/Approach
‘‘Essential’’ means absolutely necessary or indispensable.Among the offered choices, the cleanest antonymal contrast is to something not necessary—i.e., additional or superfluous.
Step-by-step reasoning
Extra (additional/superfluous) stands opposite to ‘‘essential’’ (indispensable).‘‘Trivial’’ means of little importance; while often contrasted with ‘‘essential’’, it is not a direct antonym in all contexts.‘‘Noughts’’ (zeros) and ‘‘Minors’’ (lesser/underage) are contextually irrelevant.
Verification/Alternative
Common contrasts: essential vs. nonessential/extra/optional in policy and procurement language.
Common pitfalls
Choosing ‘‘Trivial’’ due to importance nuance; the tighter lexical opposite here is ‘‘Extra’’ = not required/added on.
Final Answer
Antonym for ‘‘ESSENTIAL’’ is Extra.
Discussion & Comments