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

This unique shop features incense, candles, crystals, essential oils, artisanal teas, and an eclectic selection of home decor and pottery. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2025

Best Amazon Prime Black Friday Home Deals Amazon Prime members can unlock a ton of great Black Friday deals in the home department, including a lightweight and nimble cordless stick vacuum and an essential oil diffuser that would make an excellent gift this holiday season. —Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025

Finally, always keep essential oils out of reach of children and pets. —Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2025

Wellness Junkie Belnu Chai Fleur, $170 For the clean-fragrance-only crew, Belnu’s newest paraben- and phthalate-free scent blends essential oils with alcohol, water and floral-spicy notes of cinnamon, cardamom and violet. —Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 25 Nov. 2025

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