essence

The word “essence” means the most basic, defining quality of something — what makes it what it truly is. In plain terms, the core, fundamental nature of something, or a concentrated extract used for flavor or scent.

“Essence” is pronounced EH-suhns (/ˈɛsəns/ in IPA).

Here is “essence” used in a sentence: “Kindness is the essence of her character.”

Words with a similar meaning to “essence” include whatness, crux, bouquet, nature, ousia and quiddity.

“Essence” is a noun.

The word “essence” comes from Ancient Greek. From Latin essentia, "being" or "the state of existing," built from esse, "to be" — coined to translate an ancient Greek philosophical term for the true nature of a thing.

“Essence” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Essence” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the most basic, defining quality of something — what makes it what it truly is.

Both are concentrated flavorings, but "extract" usually denotes flavor drawn from the real ingredient — vanilla extract is made by steeping vanilla beans in alcohol — while "essence" is often a more concentrated or synthetic imitation flavoring. Usage varies by country, and in British kitchens "essence" has traditionally covered both. Reading the label is the only sure test.

In philosophy, a thing's essence is the set of properties that make it what it fundamentally is — the properties it could not lose without ceasing to be that thing. Essence is traditionally contrasted with "accidents," the properties something merely happens to have. The distinction has been central to Western philosophy since ancient Greece.