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 The book is a collection of his previously unpublished essays on a variety of topics.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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Schoolhouse The day his essay was published, a college admissions influencer with over 700,000 Instagram followers posted a guide on excelling at Dialogues to help kids get into their dream schools, and over 1,900 users asked in the comments for more details. Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2025 Applicants should be particularly mindful of building a rigorous transcript to showcase their academic capabilities, a dynamic extracurricular profile, and drafting a set of essays that showcase the compelling qualitative elements of their candidacy. Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
Given that some schools have a considerable number of supplemental essay prompts (Yale requires students to respond to a whopping eight questions, seven short-answer and one longer essay), students should dedicate ample time to brainstorming, drafting, and revising. Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025 But Celeste Wallander, until recently the top defense official overseeing U.S. policy toward Europe and Russia, warns in a new Foreign Affairs essay that this transformation will have more complicated consequences than most Americans expect. Foreign Affairs, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for essay

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Essay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essay. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on essay

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