essence
//ˈɛsəns//
Forms
- Plural
- essences
Definitions
1.The inherent nature of a thing or idea.
- The essence of Addison’s humour is irony.
2.The true nature of anything, not accidental or illusory.
3.Constituent substance.
4.A being; especially, a purely spiritual being.
- He [Gottfried Wolfgang] had been indulging in fanciful speculations on spiritual essences, until, like Swedenborg, he had an ideal world of his own around him.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #3815
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Etymology
From Middle English essence
From Middle French essence
From Latin essentia (“the being or essence of a thing”)
From an artificial formation of esse (“to be”), to translate Ancient Greek οὐσία (ousía, “being”)
From ὤν (ṓn), present participle of εἰμί (eimí, “to be, exist”).