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

Just plug it in, choose your essential oil fragrance and select your timer setting. — ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026

Leading brands, such as Cliganic, NATPAT and BugMD, use essential oils, like citronella and peppermint oil among others, as the active ingredients to repel pesty bloodsuckers. — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026

The retreat participants similarly incorporated an array of practices into their daily lives, including yoga, meditation and the use of essential oils. — Adrienne Krone, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2026

And because it's infused with bergamot essential oil, the citrus scent provides plenty of uplifting vibes. — Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 1 Nov. 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