Added 9 October 2026
essence
/ˈɛsəns/ noun
In Latin: essentia Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about essence at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience.
the gist of the prosecutor's argument
- Any substance possessing to a high degree the predominant properties of a plant or drug or other natural product from which it is extracted.
- The central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work.
Origin
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”). Displaced native Old English understandennes (literally, "understanden-ness").
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)