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essence

  • noun
  • /ˈɛsəns/

The inherent nature of a thing or idea.

Other meanings

  1. The true nature of anything, not accidental or illusory.

  2. Constituent substance.

Synonyms

  • substance
  • core
  • center
  • centre
  • heart
  • heart and soul

Related words

  • of the essence

Example sentences

  • “Privacy protects the essence of who we are.”

    Tatoeba · Igider · CC0

Word history

From Ancient Greek "οὐσία" (being).

Where this comes from

This definition is adapted from “essence” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.