What does "essence" mean?

1. (the core nature) the most important quality or feature of something that makes it what it is. 2. (a concentrate) a strong liquid taken from a plant or food, used for its smell or taste. 3. (time is of the essence) used to say that something is extremely important and must be done quickly.

How do you use "essence"?

Often used in the phrase 'in essence' to summarise a complex point. Commonly used in culinary and pharmaceutical contexts.

essence

US //ˈɛsəns// UK //ˈɛsəns// essence

1 the core nature (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the most important quality or feature of something that makes it what it is.

the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something, especially something abstract, that determines its character.

Example

The essence of his argument was that we need to protect the environment for our children.

Example

The artist managed to capture the very essence of the rugged coastline using only a few bold strokes of charcoal.

Usage

Often used in the phrase 'in essence' to summarise a complex point.
- exterior
- surface
2 a concentrate (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Cooking

a strong liquid taken from a plant or food, used for its smell or taste.

a concentrated substance or extract obtained from a plant, drug, or foodstuff by distillation or similar processes.

Example

Add two drops of vanilla essence to the cake mixture for a better flavour.

Example

The recipe requires a high-quality almond essence, as synthetic substitutes often fail to provide the necessary depth of aroma.

Usage

Commonly used in culinary and pharmaceutical contexts.

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3 time is of the essence (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal Law

used to say that something is extremely important and must be done quickly.

a fixed idiomatic expression indicating that a particular factor, usually time, is a critical requirement.

Example

Please send the documents immediately because time is of the essence.

Example

In emergency surgery, time is of the essence, and every second saved increases the patient's chances of a full recovery.

Teacher's tip

This is almost exclusively used with 'time' in professional or legal contexts.

Origin

From Middle English essence, from Middle French essence, from Latin essentia (“the being or essence of a thing”), from an artificial formation of esse (“to be”), to translate Ancient Greek οὐσία (ousía, “being”), from ὤν (ṓn), present participle of εἰμί (eimí, “to be, exist”).