The term 'BASIC NATURE' can be broken down into two crossword solutions: ESSENCE (7 letters) and ESSE (4 letters). ESSENCE is defined as the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something, especially something abstract, that determines its character. ESSE is a Latin word meaning 'to be, ' and is used to refer to the essential nature of a thing. Together, these two words form the phrase 'basic nature, ' which refers to the fundamental qualities of something that make it what it is.