lényegi

Lényegi is a Hungarian adjective meaning essential or core, deriving from lényeg, meaning essence, with the comparative adjectival suffix -i. It is used to describe elements, questions, or aspects that are central to a matter, as opposed to incidental details. In everyday and formal language it appears in expressions such as lényegi vonásai (its essential features) or lényegi kérdés (the essential question).

The nuance of lényegi is proximity to the essence or core of something. It is often employed in analytical, philosophical, legal, or academic contexts, where distinguishing the essential from the nonessential is important. It can be contrasted with alapvető (fundamental or basic) or fontos (important), though in many contexts the terms are interchangeable.

Common collocations include lényegi különbség (the essential difference), lényegi része (the core part), and lényegi elemei (the essential elements). The word is used attributively, as in a lényegi kérdés, and can also appear in predicative constructions: az a lényegi állítás (that is the essential assertion). It is not typically used as a noun; for a noun form one uses lényeg.

See also: lényeg, lényeges, alapvető. Lényegi remains a relatively formal term, frequently chosen to emphasize the central or defining aspects of a topic.