What does "indispensable" mean?

The term "indispensable" means something that is absolutely necessary and cannot be done without. It highlights the importance of an item or person in a particular context, indicating that the absence of that element would significantly impair a situation or outcome. The correct answer captures this essential quality, emphasizing that it is something crucial that should not be neglected.

In this context, the other choices do not align with the meaning of "indispensable." For instance, describing something as optional and negligible directly contradicts the core premise of necessity. Equating "indispensable" with extremely harmful suggests a negative connotation that is not inherent in the term. Similarly, to say that something is commonly overlooked implies a level of insignificance or lack of importance, which is also contrary to the definition of "indispensable."