essence
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Related to Essences: Flower essences, Essenes
es·sence
(ĕs′əns)n.
Idioms: 1.
a. The intrinsic or indispensable quality or qualities that serve to characterize or identify something: The essence of democracy is the freedom to choose.
b. Philosophy The inherent, unchanging nature of a thing or class of things, especially as contrasted with its existence.
2. The most important part or aspect of something: The essence of her argument is that the policy is wrongheaded.
3.
a. An extract that has the fundamental properties of a substance in concentrated form.
b. Such an extract in a solution of alcohol.
c. A perfume or scent.
4. One that has or shows an abundance of a quality as if highly concentrated: a neighbor who is the essence of hospitality.
5. Something that exists, especially a spiritual or incorporeal entity.
in essence
By nature; essentially: He is in essence a reclusive sort.
of the essence
Of the greatest importance; crucial: Time is of the essence.
[Middle English essencia and French essence, both from Latin essentia, from esse, to be, from the presumed present participle *essēns, *essent- (on the model of differentia, difference, from differēns, different-, present participle of differre, to differ), created to translate Greek ousiā (from ousa, feminine present participle of einai, to be) ; see es- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
essence
(ˈɛsəns)n
1. the characteristic or intrinsic feature of a thing, which determines its identity; fundamental nature
2. the most distinctive element of a thing: the essence of a problem.
3. a perfect or complete form of something, esp a person who typifies an abstract quality: he was the essence of gentility.
4. (Philosophy) philosophy
a. the unchanging and unchangeable nature of something which is necessary to its being the thing it is; its necessary properties. Compare accident4
b. the properties in virtue of which something is called by its name
c. the nature of something as distinct from, and logically prior to, its existence
5. (Theology) theol an immaterial or spiritual entity
6. (Botany)
a. the constituent of a plant, usually an oil, alkaloid, or glycoside, that determines its chemical or pharmacological properties
b. an alcoholic solution of such a substance
7. (Chemistry) a substance, usually a liquid, containing the properties of a plant or foodstuff in concentrated form: vanilla essence.
8. a rare word for perfume
9. in essence essentially; fundamentally
10. of the essence indispensable; vitally important
[C14: from Medieval Latin essentia, from Latin: the being (of something), from esse to be]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
es•sence
(ˈɛs əns)n.
1. the basic, real, and invariable nature of a thing; substance.
2. a concentrated substance obtained from a plant, drug, or the like, by distillation, infusion, etc.
3. an alcoholic solution of an essential oil; spirit.
4. a perfume; scent.
5. (in philosophy) the true nature or constitution of anything, as opposed to what is accidental, phenomenal, illusory, etc.
6. something that exists, esp. a spiritual or immaterial entity.
Idioms: 1. in essence, essentially; basically.
2. of the essence, absolutely essential; crucial.
[1350–1400; Middle English essencia < Medieval Latin, for Latin essentia, irreg. derivative of esse to be]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Essence
in a nutshell Concisely, tersely, pithily; briefly, simply, in few words; containing much of substance in a small space, as nutmeat within a nutshell. Nutshell as representative of conciseness has been in use since the 17th century; the phrase in a nutshell since shortly thereafter.
A great complex argument, which … cannot by any ingenuity … be packed into a nutshell. (John Henry Newman, Grammar of Assent, 1870)
nature of the beast The essence of a person or thing; human nature; the qualities and characteristics common to human beings and other animals. This expression combines nature ‘essential qualities or properties’ and beast ‘any animal,’ implying that there is a certain crudeness common to all animals, both human and nonhuman. It is often used in the context of explaining or excusing the behavior of someone who acts or has acted in an inappropriate or boorish manner. Such usage is illustrated in a 1683 letter by Jules Verney:
I’m very sorry [that] John my coachman should be so great a clown to you … but ‘tis the nature of the beast. (Letters and Papers of the Verney Family, 1899)
In recent years, the usage of nature of the beast has been extended to describe the negative qualities often inherent in inanimate objects, bureaucratic systems, and other matters.
part and parcel An integral or essential component; a vital part of a larger entity. In this expression, common since the 14th century, part and parcel are synonymous, their juxtaposition serving to emphasize the importance of a given constituent to the whole.
The places referred to are, for all intents and purposes, part and parcel of the metropolis. (John McCulloch, A Descriptive and Statistical Account of the British Empire, 1846)
sixty-four-dollar question The crux of the matter; the basic or critically important question; the remaining unknown whose answer would provide the ultimate solution of a problem. This expression refers to the prize awarded for correctly answering the last and most difficult in a series of questions asked of a contestant on “Take It or Leave It,” a popular radio quiz show in the 1940s. With the advent of television, the stakes were raised considerably in “The $64,000 Question” (1955-58), giving rise to the updated variation, sixty-four-thousand-dollar question.
Picturesque Expressions: A Thematic Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1980 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | essence - the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story" heart and soul, inwardness, nitty-gritty, pith, substance, gist, kernel, nub, meat, core, sum, marrow, heart, center, centre cognitive content, mental object, content - the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned bare bones - (plural) the most basic facts or elements; "he told us only the bare bones of the story" hypostasis - (metaphysics) essential nature or underlying reality haecceity, quiddity - the essence that makes something the kind of thing it is and makes it different from any other quintessence - the purest and most concentrated essence of something stuff - a critically important or characteristic component; "suspense is the very stuff of narrative" |
| 2. | essence - any substance possessing to a high degree the predominant properties of a plant or drug or other natural product from which it is extracted substance - the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists; "DNA is the substance of our genes" | |
| 3. | essence - the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work meaning, signification, import, significance - the message that is intended or expressed or signified; "what is the meaning of this sentence"; "the significance of a red traffic light"; "the signification of Chinese characters"; "the import of his announcement was ambiguous" | |
| 4. |  essence - a toiletry that emits and diffuses a fragrant odorperfumery - perfumes in general potpourri - a jar of mixed flower petals and spices used as perfume rose water - perfume consisting of water scented with oil of roses toilet articles, toiletry - artifacts used in making your toilet (washing and taking care of your body) eau de toilette, toilet water - a perfumed liquid lighter than cologne |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
essence
noun
1. fundamental nature, nature, being, life, meaning, heart, spirit, principle, soul, core, substance, significance, entity, bottom line, essential part, kernel, crux, lifeblood, pith, quintessence, basic characteristic, quiddity Some claim that Ireland's very essence is expressed through its language.
2. concentrate, spirits, extract, elixir, tincture, distillate Add a few drops of vanilla essence.
in essence essentially, materially, virtually, basically, fundamentally, in effect, substantially, in the main, to all intents and purposes, in substance In essence, we share the same ideology.
of the essence vitally important, essential, vital, critical, crucial, key, indispensable, of the utmost importance Time is of the essence with this project.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
essence
noun1. A basic trait or set of traits that define and establish the character of something:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
جَوْهَرخُلاصَه
=-ekstrakt=-essensekstraktessensvæsentlige
esanssiolemusperusolemus
kivonat
kjarni, innsta eîlikraftur
esencija
būtībaesencegalvenais
esencia
bistvo
essence
[ˈesəns] N1. → esencia f
the essence of the matter is → lo esencial del asunto es ...
in essence → en lo esencial
time is of the essence → el tiempo es primordial
the essence of the matter is → lo esencial del asunto es ...
in essence → en lo esencial
time is of the essence → el tiempo es primordial
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
essence
[ˈɛsəns] n (= essential feature) → essence f
(= importance) to be of the essence → être essentiel(le)
Speed is of the essence → La rapidité est essentielle.
Speed is of the essence → La rapidité est essentielle.
in essence adv (= basically) → en substance
(= concentrated liquid) → essence f vanilla essence
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
essence
n
(= most important quality) → Wesen nt, → Wesentliche(s) nt, → Kern m; in essence the theories are very similar → die Theorien sind im Wesentlichen or in ihrem Kern or essenziell (geh) → or essentiell (geh) → sehr ähnlich; how would you describe the situation, in essence? → wie würden Sie die Situation im Wesentlichen beschreiben?; speed/time is of the essence → Geschwindigkeit/Zeit ist von entscheidender Bedeutung; the essence of his thought → der Kern or die Essenz seines Denkens; the note contained the essence of what he had said → die Notiz enthielt den Kern dessen, was er gesagt hatte; he embodies the very essence of Japanese spirit → er verkörpert den Inbegriff des japanischen Geistes; the novel captures the essence of life in the city → der Roman fängt das Leben in der Stadt perfekt ein; the essence of Liberalism → die Essenz des Liberalismus
(= extract: Chem, Cook) → Essenz f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
essence
[ˈɛs/əns] n (gen) (Culin) → essenzain essence → in sostanza
speed is of the essence → la velocità è di estrema importanza
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
essence
(ˈesns)1. the most important part or quality. Tolerance is the essence of friendship.
2. a substance obtained from a plant, drug etc. vanilla essence.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
es·sence
n. esencia, cualidad indispensable.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012