Essence: meaning, definitions and examples

💫

Add to dictionary

essence

[ ˈɛs(ə)ns ]

^{Context #1}

the essence of beauty

the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something, especially something abstract, that determines its character

Synonyms

core, heart, quintessence, soul

Examples of usage

The essence of a good movie is a compelling storyline.
His paintings capture the essence of nature.
She distilled the essence of his argument.

^{Context #2}

the essence of a perfume

a substance or extract that has concentrated natural flavor or scent

Synonyms

concentrate, essence oil, extract

Examples of usage

She added a drop of essence to the dish.
The essence of lavender is commonly used in aromatherapy.

^{Context #3}

the essence of a person

the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is

Synonyms

character, nature

Examples of usage

Her kindness was the essence of her character.
The essence of his personality shone through in his writing.

Translations

Translations of the word "essence" in other languages:

🇵🇹 essência

🇮🇳 सार

🇩🇪 Essenz

🇮🇩 esensi

🇺🇦 сутність

🇵🇱 istota

🇯🇵 本質 (ほんしつ)

🇫🇷 essence

🇪🇸 esencia

🇹🇷 öz

🇰🇷 본질 (bonjil)

🇸🇦 جوهر

🇨🇿 podstata

🇸🇰 podstata

🇨🇳 本质 (běnzhí)

🇸🇮 bistvo

🇮🇸 kjarni

🇰🇿 мән

🇬🇪 არსი

🇦🇿 mahiyyət

🇲🇽 esencia

Word origin

The word 'essence' originated from the Latin word 'essentia', which means 'being, essence', from 'essent-' (present participle stem of 'esse', 'to be'). The term has been used in English since the 14th century to refer to the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something.