Integral

Necessary to the completeness, identity, or effective working of a whole.

Reach for it when showing that a part belongs within the thing rather than merely supporting it

Trust is integral to a mentoring relationship that can survive honest feedback.

• everyday

  central

  importance and prominence matter more than structural belonging

  not when Central can be the main focus without being an inseparable component.

• everyday

  essential

  necessity is the main point

  not when Essential can describe an external requirement, while integral means built into the whole.

• warm

  indispensable

  the contribution cannot realistically be done without

  not when Indispensable can describe a replaceable helper external to the system.

• professional

  fundamental

  the part provides a basic underlying principle or structure

  not when Fundamental concerns the base and may not be woven through every part.

• formal

  constitutive

  the element helps define what the whole actually is

  not when Constitutive is technical and unnecessarily dense for ordinary praise.

• formal

  intrinsic

  the quality belongs to the thing by its nature

  not when Intrinsic does not say the quality is required for effective operation.

• peripheral
• optional
• extraneous

• integral part

  Public access is an integral part of the archive's mission.

• integral component

  The shaded courtyard is an integral component of the cooling system.

• integral to

  Quiet preparation is integral to the ensemble's confident performances.