| Rating | Solver | Clue |
|---|---|---|
| OPERATIVE | Essential (point) | |
| NECESSITY | Essential (point) | |
| PRINCIPAL | A principal or essential point or rule; a principle. | |
| MOMENT | An essential element; a deciding point, fact, or consideration; an essential or influential circumstance. | |
| POINT | Hence, the most prominent or important feature, as of an argument, discourse, etc.; the essential matter; esp., the proposition to be established; as, the point of an anecdote. | |