essay

1 of 2

noun

es·​say ˈe-ˌsā How to pronounce essay (audio)
senses 2, 3 & 4 also
e-ˈsā How to pronounce essay (audio)
1
a
: an analytic or interpretative literary composition usually dealing with its subject from a limited or personal point of view
b
: something resembling such a composition
a photographic essay
2
a
: effort, attempt
especially : an initial tentative effort
b
: the result or product of an attempt
3
: a proof of an unaccepted design for a stamp or piece of paper money
4
obsolete : trial, test

essay

2 of 2

verb

es·​say e-ˈsā How to pronounce essay (audio)
ə-ˈsā,
ˈe-ˌsā How to pronounce essay (audio)
essayed; essaying; essays

transitive verb

1
: to make an often tentative or experimental effort to perform : try
2
: to put to a test
essayer noun
Choose the Right Synonym for essay

attempt, try, endeavor, essay, strive mean to make an effort to accomplish an end.

attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.

will attempt to photograph the rare bird

try is often close to attempt but may stress effort or experiment made in the hope of testing or proving something.

tried to determine which was the better procedure

endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.

endeavored to find crash survivors in the mountains

essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.

will essay a dramatic role for the first time

strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort.

continues to strive for peace

Examples of essay in a Sentence

Noun Your assignment is to write a 500-word essay on one of Shakespeare's sonnets. The book is a collection of his previously unpublished essays on a variety of topics. Verb There is no hint as to which of the approaches essayed in this book will prove most useful. he had been in gymnastics for some time before he even considered essaying that move
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Traditionally, an essay begins with a question and so does a tarot reading. Claire Salinda, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 In a heartbreaking essay, Mosab Abu Toha describes what that actually looks like each day for the people who remain in Gaza, including his brothers, parents, and other relatives. Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 12 Mar. 2024 Student of the Week offers schools the chance to celebrate teens who have placed in an art, dance or music competition, excelled in a science fair, won an essay contest, received a scholarship, were recognized for their volunteer service or have shined in some other way. Marcus Reichley, The Arizona Republic, 11 Mar. 2024 Retinol truly deserves its own essay, but the short version is this: The vitamin A derivative boosts collagen production and increases the rate of cellular turnover. Sarah Y. Wu, Glamour, 8 Mar. 2024 Ortiz uses the essay’s premise to show how artists over time have referenced and responded to the movement through the lenses of the Afro-Surreal and Afrofuturism, which relate to surrealism’s broad ideas including introspection, liberation and history. James Russell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Mar. 2024 While the origins of daylight saving time are disputed — ranging from an essay authored by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 to a pamphlet written by British builder William Willet in 1907— the time change itself is standardized. S. Dev, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024 Love followed a few weeks later with a first-person essay about his anxiety. Tim Reynolds, Twin Cities, 4 Mar. 2024 The 176-page book features a series of musings, anecdotes and personal essays that draw from Apfel’s eclectic life and travels. Tim Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Mar. 2024
Verb
Where do essay writing companies find their professional essay writers? Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024 Since then, Martindale has essayed a series of increasingly large projects across a variety of genres, including Paris, je t'aime (2006), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), August: Osage County (2013), and The Hollars (2016). Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 20 Oct. 2023 The actor began his career in London theater in the late '70s, appearing in Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, before moving into film, essaying memorable roles in Mike Leigh's Meantime (1983) and as Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy (1986). Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 13 July 2023 But Gilmore began her career writing about art, and Slow Food, Fast Cars (out from Phaidon on December 6) marries a number of genres, from cookbook to essay collection to exhibition catalog and beyond. Leah Bhabha, Vogue, 1 Dec. 2023 Anil Kapoor essays the role of a father while Ranbir Kapoor is the son in the film that explores a twisted side of father-son bond. Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 Tisch Blodgett even wrote her college admissions essay about bonding through the sport with three generations of women in her family. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2023 Carta declined to comment on the litigation and essay for this story. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2023 There is no novelist’s voice essaying on why Shy is so unhappy. Hazlitt, 11 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'essay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French essai, ultimately from Late Latin exagium act of weighing, from Latin ex- + agere to drive — more at agent

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of essay was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near essay

Cite this Entry

“Essay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essay. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

essay

1 of 2 verb
es·​say e-ˈsā How to pronounce essay (audio) ˈes-ˌā How to pronounce essay (audio)
: attempt entry 1 sense 1, try
again essayed to ride on the camel

essay

2 of 2 noun
es·​say ˈes-ˌā How to pronounce essay (audio)
in sense 1 also
e-ˈsā How to pronounce essay (audio)
1
: attempt entry 2 sense 1, try
especially : an uncertain or hesitant effort
2
: a usually short written work giving a personal view or opinion on a subject

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