in essence

phrase

: in or by its very nature : essentially, basically

was in essence an honest person

Examples of in essence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Thoreau was not the only Massachusetts writer to advocate for nonviolent resistance—in essence, for civil disobedience. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

The company is, in essence, a crowdfunding e-commerce site, belonging to the same category as Kickstarter, Patreon, Gumroad, and OnlyFans. — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Selig in essence dumped his team’s AL tradition for a few more home games with the Cubs and their money-spending fans from the North Shore. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Also, council members currently must pay into the county's pension plan, but according to Hallam, Subsection 7C in essence says they are currently prohibited from receiving a pension. — John Shumway, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for in essence

• excrescence
• fluorescence
• quiescence
• quintessence
• senescence
• acquiescence
• adolescence
• coalescence
• convalescence
• effervescence
• efflorescence
• evanescence