essentialvariable
nounUK /ɪˈsɛnʃəl ˈvɛəriəbl/
US /ɪˈsɛnʃəl ˈveriəbl/
A thing that can change and that you really need to make something work.
In our science experiment, the amount of water was an essential variable we had to measure.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In math, a value that can change but is needed to solve an equation.
In the equation y = 2x + 3, x is an essential variable.
3. In research, a factor that must be controlled because it affects the result.
Temperature was an essential variable in the plant growth study.
4. In computing, a setting that a program needs to run correctly.
The path to the file is an essential variable in the script.