essential oil

noun

: any of a class of volatile oils that give plants their characteristic odors and are used especially in perfumes and flavorings, and for aromatherapy compare fixed oil

Examples of essential oil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Peppermint Oil Using essential oils to repel pests is more pleasant than having chemical smells in your home. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Jan. 2026

Created by a blend of lavender and chamomile essential oils, this calming aroma will transform your home into a tranquil getaway. —Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 6 Jan. 2026

But the Glow Face Oil also gets a boost from organic camellia seed oil, organic chamomile, organic calendula, sea buckthorn oil, jojoba oil, and helichrysum essential oil. —Rachel Nussbaum, InStyle, 6 Jan. 2026

This silent humidifier also features a dim, ambient light and can be used as an essential oil diffuser. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 1 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1674, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for essential oil

• aerofoil
• cinquefoil
• hydrofoil
• quatrefoil
• airfoil
• benzoyl
• despoil
• embroil
• etoile
• gargoyle
• recoil
• subsoil

Medical Definition

essential oil

noun

: any of a large class of volatile odoriferous oils of vegetable origin that give plants their characteristic odors and often other properties, that are obtained from various parts of the plants (as flowers, leaves, or bark) by steam distillation, expression, or extraction, that are usually mixtures of compounds (as aldehydes or esters), and that are used often in the form of essences in perfumes, flavorings, and pharmaceutical preparations

called also ethereal oil, volatile oil

compare fatty oil, fixed oil