essence
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of ESSENCE
1
[singular]
:
the basic nature of a thing
:
the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is
-
The essence of love is unselfishness.
-
The book's illustrations capture the essence of the story.
-
Competition is the (very) essence of capitalism.
2
[noncount]
:
a substance that contains in very strong form the special qualities (such as the taste and smell) of the thing from which it is taken
-
essence of peppermint/lemon
in essence
:
at the most basic level
-
He was in essence [=basically, essentially, fundamentally] an honest person.
-
In essence, I believe that a real solution is not possible.
of the essence
:
of the greatest importance
-
Time/speed is of the essence when dealing with a medical emergency.
