of the essence

Idioms

Of the greatest importance, crucial, as in Time is of the essence. This idiom, which uses essence in the sense of “the most important element of something,” was first recorded in 1873, although the phrase the essence of... was already being used in the mid-1600s.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

of the essence

BBC Sport understands there have to be "exceptional circumstances" to justify the effort and that, in these cases, time might have been of the essence with a need for prompt testing.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Time is of the essence, say top EU officials.

From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026

Speed is of the essence because, nearly a month in, disruptions are spreading.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026

Time is of the essence when it comes to making these refund-enhancing tax-planning moves, and filing your 2025 tax return, according to Greene-Lewis.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 4, 2025

I do believe mortals strived more heartily toward their goals, because they knew that time was of the essence.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023