essence

UK: /ˈɛs^əns/ US: /ˈɛsəns/ ,(es′əns)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

es•sence /ˈɛsəns/   n. 

1. the basic, unchanging nature of a thing;
   the substance that gives something identity:
   [uncountable] The essence of civilized behavior is courtesy.
2. the basic meaning of something;
   main point:
   [uncountable] The essence of his speech was that we must all work harder.
3. a concentrated substance made from a plant, drug, or the like:
   [countable* uncountable] essence of brandy.

Idioms

4. Idioms in essence, essentially;
   basically:
   What she said, in essence, is that all will be well.
5. Idioms of the essence, absolutely essential;
   crucial:
   It is of the essence that you attend that meeting.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

es•sence  (es′əns), n. 

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.
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. [Philos.] the inward nature, true substance, or constitution of anything, as opposed to what is accidental, phenomenal, illusory, etc.
6. something that exists, esp. a spiritual or immaterial entity.
7. Idioms in essence, essentially;
   at bottom, often despite appearances:
   For all his bluster, he is in essence a shy person.
8. Idioms of the essence, absolutely essential;
   critical;
   crucial:
   In chess, cool nerves are of the essence.

• Medieval Latin, for Latin essentia. See esse, -ence
• Middle English essencia 1350–1400

Synonyms

• 1. substance, spirit, lifeblood, heart, principle, soul, core.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

essence / ˈɛs^əns/ noun

1. the characteristic or intrinsic feature of a thing, which determines its identity; fundamental nature
2. a perfect or complete form of something, esp a person who typifies an abstract quality
3. the unchanging and unchangeable nature of something which is necessary to its being the thing it is; its necessary properties
4. the constituent of a plant, usually an oil, alkaloid, or glycoside, that determines its chemical or pharmacological properties
5. an alcoholic solution of such a substance
6. a substance, usually a liquid, containing the properties of a plant or foodstuff in concentrated form: vanilla essence
7. a rare word for perfume
8. in essence ⇒ essentially; fundamentally
9. of the essence ⇒ indispensable; vitally important

Etymology: 14th Century: from Medieval Latin essentia, from Latin: the being (of something), from esse to be