Main Entry:

es·sence

Pronunciation:

\ˈe-s^ən(t)s\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English essencia, from Latin essentia, from esse to be — more at is

Date:

14th century

1 a: the permanent as contrasted with the accidental element of being b: the individual, real, or ultimate nature of a thing especially as opposed to its existence <a painting that captures the essence of the land> c: the properties or attributes by means of which something can be placed in its proper class or identified as being what it is2: something that exists : entity3 a (1): a volatile substance or constituent (as of perfume) (2): a constituent or derivative possessing the special qualities (as of a plant or drug) in concentrated form ; also : a preparation of such an essence or a synthetic substitute b: odor, perfume4: one that possesses or exhibits a quality in abundance as if in concentrated form <she was the essence of punctuality>5: the most significant element, quality, or aspect of a thing or person <the essence of the issue>

— in essence

: in or by its very nature : essentially, basically <was in essence an honest person>

— of the essence

: of the utmost importance <time is of the essence>