1. center, centre, core, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, kernel, marrow, meat, nitty-gritty, nub, pith, substance, sum

the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience

Example Sentences:
'the gist of the prosecutor's argument'
'the heart and soul of the Republican Party'
'the nub of the story'

• center
• centre
• core
• essence
• gist
• heart
• heart and soul
• kernel
• marrow
• meat
• nitty-gritty
• nub
• pith
• substance
• sum

2. inwardness

preoccupation especially with one's attitudes and ethical or ideological values

Example Sentences:
'the sensitiveness of James's characters, their seeming inwardness'
'inwardness is what an Englishman quite simply has, painlessly, as a birthright'

3. inwardness

the quality or state of being inward or internal

Example Sentences:
'the inwardness of the body's organs'

4. internality, inwardness

preoccupation with what concerns human inner nature (especially ethical or ideological values)

Example Sentences:
'Socrates' inwardness, integrity, and inquisitiveness'

• internality