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Essex

American  
[es-iks] / ˈɛs ɪks /

noun

  1. 2nd Earl of. Devereux, Robert.

  2. a county in SE England. 1,418 sq. mi. (3,670 sq. km).

  3. a town in N Maryland, near Baltimore.

  4. a town in W Vermont.

Essex 1 British  
/ ˈɛsɪks /

noun

  1. a county of SE England, on the North Sea and the Thames estuary; the geographical and ceremonial county includes Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea, which became independent unitary authorities in 1998. Administrative centre: Chelmsford. Pop (excluding unitary authorities): 1 324 100 (2003 est). Area (excluding unitary authorities): 3446 sq km (1310 sq miles)

  2. an Anglo-Saxon kingdom that in the early 7th century ad comprised the modern county of Essex and much of Hertfordshire and Surrey. By the late 8th century, Essex had become a dependency of the kingdom of Mercia

"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
Essex 2 British  
/ ˈɛsɪks /

noun

  1. 2nd Earl of, title of Robert Devereux. ?1566–1601, English soldier and favourite of Queen Elizabeth I; executed for treason

"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

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.

He had travelled to Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, and March in Cambridgeshire, and as he drove through Willingham the crane's unsecured grabber moved and was hanging over the side of his trailer.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Chloe and George Sanchez, from Essex, were due to marry at Brighton register office but found themselves stranded on the seafront after struggling to book transport.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

More than 80 million cucumbers and about 100 million peppers are grown each year in the Lea Valley, in west Essex, making it one of the UK's most important suppliers.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Morgan analyst Brian Essex was similarly optimistic about the collaboration, saying in a note that it would help accelerate the development of security platforms.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Owen Chase, whose account of the sinking of the whaling ship Essex by a whale inspired Herman Melville, survived eighty-three days at sea with two mates, interrupted by a one-week stay on an inhospitable island.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.