essence

American  

[es-uhns] / ˈɛs əns /

noun

1. the basic, real, and invariable nature of a thing or its significant individual feature or features.

   Freedom is the very essence of our democracy.

   Synonyms:

   core, soul, principle, heart, lifeblood, spirit, substance

2. a substance obtained from a plant, drug, or the like, by distillation, infusion, etc., and containing its characteristic properties in concentrated form.

3. an alcoholic solution of an essential oil; spirit.

4. a perfume; scent.

5. Philosophy. the inward nature, true substance, or constitution of anything, as opposed to what is accidental, phenomenal, illusory, etc.

6. something that exists, especially a spiritual or immaterial entity.

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idioms

1. of the essence, absolutely essential; critical; crucial.

   In chess, cool nerves are of the essence.

2. in essence, essentially; at bottom, often despite appearances.

   For all his bluster, he is in essence a shy person.

essence British  

/ ˈɛsəns /

noun

1. the characteristic or intrinsic feature of a thing, which determines its identity; fundamental nature

2. the most distinctive element of a thing

   the essence of a problem

3. a perfect or complete form of something, esp a person who typifies an abstract quality

   he was the essence of gentility

4. philosophy

   1. the unchanging and unchangeable nature of something which is necessary to its being the thing it is; its necessary properties Compare accident

   2. the properties in virtue of which something is called by its name

   3. the nature of something as distinct from, and logically prior to, its existence

5. theol an immaterial or spiritual entity

6. 1. the constituent of a plant, usually an oil, alkaloid, or glycoside, that determines its chemical or pharmacological properties

   2. an alcoholic solution of such a substance

7. a substance, usually a liquid, containing the properties of a plant or foodstuff in concentrated form

   vanilla essence

8. a rare word for perfume

9. essentially; fundamentally

10. indispensable; vitally important

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Other Word Forms

• self-essence noun

Etymology

Origin of essence

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English essencia, from Medieval Latin, from Latin essentia, equivalent to esse + -ence

Explanation

Essence is whatever most sums up the heart and soul of something, its truest most indispensable qualities. The essence of Las Vegas is poker chips and dreams; the essence of Johnny Cash is black clothing and country music. Essence can be a physical detail, or, just as commonly, the abstract idea or meaning of something. The essence of Lady Chatterly's Lover might be its revolutionary eroticism, or the essence of religion its devotion to God. Essence can also mean the concentrate obtained from a flower or plant for flavoring. If you've chewed strawberry-flavored bubblegum you're probably amazed at how it truly is the very essence of strawberries.

Example Sentences

The installation puts people inside that spectral array of color to capture the essence of those sunrises and sunsets.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

In essence, the neighboring sale upped the ante as far as Behar’s listing is concerned—and also encouraged her agents to start thinking about other ways they could prove the home’s potential to prospective buyers.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

Sure, implied volatility, which is the essence of put and call prices, remains expensive, but options cost less than stocks.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Her employer, NWCare, said they were "devastated to learn about the unexpected passing" and that she "was the essence of humanity, kind, compassionate and beautiful".

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

“The very essence of the tomb, as Theodora points out. The cold spot in Borley Rectory only dropped eleven degrees,” he went on complacently.

From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson

Related Words

• aspect
• basis
• bottom line
• character
• core
• crux
• element
• lifeblood
• meaning
• nature
• principle
• quality
• reality
• root
• soul
• spirit
• structure
• substance