How to sign: a small group of indispensable persons or things
"five periodicals make up the core of their publishing program";
Similiar / Same: core group, nucleus
Categories: set
Within this category: cadre
How to sign: the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience
"the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story";
Similiar / Same: essence, heart and soul, inwardness, nitty-gritty, gist, pith, kernel, substance, meat, nub, sum, center, heart, marrow
Categories: cognitive content, content, mental object
Within this category: bare bones, hypostasis, quiddity, quintessence, stuff