essay

[ noun es-ey for 1, 2; es-ey, e-sey for 3-5; verb e-sey ]

/ noun ˈɛs eɪ for 1, 2; ˈɛs eɪ, ɛˈseɪ for 3-5; verb ɛˈseɪ /

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See synonyms for: essay / essayed / essays on Thesaurus.com

Definition of essay

noun

a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative.

anything resembling such a composition: a picture essay.

an effort to perform or accomplish something; attempt.

Philately. a design for a proposed stamp differing in any way from the design of the stamp as issued.

Obsolete. a tentative effort; trial; assay.

verb (used with object)

to try; attempt.

to put to the test; make trial of.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of essay

1475–85; <Middle French essayer, cognate with Anglo-French assayer to assay <Late Latin exagium a weighing, equivalent to *exag(ere), for Latin exigere to examine, test, literally, to drive out (see exact) + -ium-ium

OTHER WORDS FROM essay

es·say·er, nounpre·es·say, verb (used without object)un·es·sayed, adjectivewell-es·sayed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH essay

assay, essay

Words nearby essay

ESRC, ESRO, esrog, ess, Essaouira, essay, essayist, essayistic, essay question, esse, Essen

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use essay in a sentence

As several of my colleagues commented, the result is good enough that it could pass for an essay written by a first-year undergraduate, and even get a pretty decent grade.
Welcome to the Next Level of Bullshit - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Raphaël Millière|September 9, 2020|Nautilus
GPT-3 also raises concerns about the future of essay writing in the education system.
Welcome to the Next Level of Bullshit - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Raphaël Millière|September 9, 2020|Nautilus
This little essay helps focus on self-knowledge in what you’re best at, and how you should prioritize your time.
Book recommendations from Fortune’s 40 under 40 in health|Rachel King|September 9, 2020|Fortune
As Steven Feldstein argues in the opening essay, technonationalism plays a part in the strengthening of other autocracies too.
A world divided into “cans” and “cannots”|Katie McLean|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review

He’s written a collection of essays on civil engineering life titled Bridginess, and to this day he and Lauren go on “bridge dates,” where they enjoy a meal and admire the view of a nearby span.
A life bridging engineering and education|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
I think a certain kind of compelling essay has a piece of that.
Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination|Mindy Farabee|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The current attack on the Jews,” he wrote in a 1937 essay, “targets not just this people of 15 million but mankind as such.
The Catholic Philosopher Who Took on Hitler|John Henry Crosby|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The impulse to interpret seems to me what makes personal essay writing compelling.
Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination|Mindy Farabee|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To be honest, I think a lot of good essay writing comes out of that.
Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination|Mindy Farabee|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Someone recently sent me an old Joan Didion essay on self-respect that appeared in Vogue.
Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination|Mindy Farabee|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is more of the uplifted forefinger and the reiterated point than I should have allowed myself in an essay.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
Consequently he was able to turn in a clear essay upon the subject, which, upon examination, the king found to be free from error.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
It is no part of the present essay to attempt to detail the particulars of a code of social legislation.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
But angels and ministers of grace defend us from ministers of religion who essay art criticism!
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries|Charles G. Harper
It is fit that the imagination, which is free to go through all things, should essay such excursions.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler

British Dictionary definitions for essay

essay

noun (ˈɛseɪ, for senses 2, 3 also ɛˈseɪ)

a short literary composition dealing with a subject analytically or speculatively

an attempt or endeavour; effort

a test or trial

verb (ɛˈseɪ) (tr)

to attempt or endeavour; try

to test or try out

Word Origin for essay

C15: from Old French essaier to attempt, from essai an attempt, from Late Latin exagium a weighing, from Latin agere to do, compel, influenced by exigere to investigate

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for essay

essay

A short piece of writing on one subject, usually presenting the author's own views. Michel de Montaigne, Francis Bacon (see also Bacon), and Ralph Waldo Emerson are celebrated for their essays.

essay

Definition of essay

Origin of essay

OTHER WORDS FROM essay

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH essay

Words nearby essay

Words related to essay

How to use essay in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for essay

Word Origin for essay

Cultural definitions for essay