Essence

/ˈɛs.əns/

Meaning & Definition

noun

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

The essence of democracy is the participation of the people in governance.

A substance in concentrated form obtained from a plant or other matter and used for flavoring or perfuming.

She added a few drops of vanilla essence to the cake batter.

The basic, real, and invariable nature of a thing or its significant individual feature or features.

In essence, the project aims to improve community engagement and sustainability.

A fundamental or elemental principle or quality.

The essence of her argument was that education should be accessible to everyone.

The quality of being; existence.

In his poetry, he often explores the essence of life and love.

From Latin 'essentia', from 'essens', present participle of 'esse', meaning 'to be'.

the essence of

the most important quality or aspect of something.

capture the essence

to represent the fundamental nature of something.

in essence

used to describe the basic, real, or essential nature of something.

essential

absolutely necessary or extremely important.

quintessential

representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.

existence

the fact or state of living or having objective reality.

The most important part or aspect of something.

In the essence of teamwork, communication is key.

A high concentration of something that defines its character.

That café has the essence of Paris.