Essences definitions and example sentences on Wordnik

View all »
Definitions (46)

American Heritage Dictionary (10)

noun The intrinsic or indispensable properties that serve to characterize or identify something.
noun The most important ingredient; the crucial element.
noun The inherent, unchanging nature of a thing or class of things.

7 more from this dictionary »

Century Dictionary (30)

The inward nature, true substance, or constitution of anything. The Greek οὐσία (see the etymology) denotes a subject in esse, something whose mode of being corresponds to that of a subject, as distinguished from a predicate, in speech. But while this is the original conception, the word essence, even in Latin, usually carries a different sense. The essence is rather the idea of a thing, the law of its being, that which makes it the kind of thing that it is, that which is expressed in its definition. In regard to artificial things, the conception of an essence is usually tolerably clear; thus, the essence of a bottle is that it should be a vessel with a tubular orifice. Those philosophers who speak of the essences of natural things hold that natural kinds are regulated by similar ideas. Nominalists hold that definitions do not belong to things, but to words; and accordingly they speak of the essences of words, meaning what is directly implied in their definitions. Justice in her very essence is all strength and activity. Milton, Eikonoklastes, xxviii. First, essence may be taken for the being of anything, whereby it is what it is. And thus the real internal, but generally in substances unknown, constitution of things, whereon their discoverable qualities depend, may be called their essence. … Secondly, … but, it being evident that things are ranked under names into sorts or species only as they agree to certain abstract ideas, to which we have annexed those names, the essence of each genus or sort comes to be nothing but that abstract idea which the general or sortal(if I may have leave so to call it from sort, as I do general from genus) name stands for. And this we shall find to be that which the word essence imports in its most familiar use. These two sorts of essences, I suppose, may not unfitly be termed, the one the real, the other the nominal, essence. Locke, Human Understanding, III. iii. 15. Whatever makes a thing to be what it is, is properly called its essence. Self-consciousness, therefore, is the essence of the mind, because it is in virtue of self-consciousness that the mind is the mind—that a man is himself. Ferrier. But when in heaven she shall his essence see, This is her soveraigne good and perfect blisse. Sir J. Davies. I shall not fear to know things for what they are. Their essence is not less beautiful than their appearance. Emerson, Essays, 1st ser., p. 180. To hold everything worthy of knowledge but the faith by which he has lived, is to hold the accidents of life better than its essence. Contemporary Rev., LI. 218.
Hence The distinctive characteristic; that which is expressed by the definition of any term: as, the essence of a miser's character is avarice. When Louis XIV. said, “I am the state,” he expressed the essence of the doctrine of unlimited power. D. Webster, Bunker Hill Monument, June 17, 1825. The essence of savagery seems to consist in the retention of a primordial condition. Darwin, Express. of Emotions, p. 235. He who believes in goodness has the essence of all faith. He is a man “of cheerful yesterdays and confident tomorrows.” J. F. Clarke, Self-Culture, p. 259.
That part of anything which gives it its individual character or quality: as, this summary contains the essence of the book. Mix'd with bestial slime, This essence to incarnate and imbrute. Milton, P. L., ix. 166.

27 more from this dictionary »

GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

WordNet (4)

Elsewhere on the web

View all »
Examples (50)

Recycling limits you to "essences," she says.Read the whole thing and view the slide show.
We must recall that science does not concern itself with essences--no explanation of the mind will ever answer the sort of existential questions about why we are here, how we should live, what is "the good life." — Omni: October 1993
My head was pounding like the landlord was tired of waiting for the rent money, so it was hard to follow but the gist of it was that the doc was irked because Fritz had flipped the wrong combination of switches and exchanged not only me and the monster's brains but our essences--our souls if you're inclined to the spiritual Oh, so that's what happened. — FSF, August 2006
With each upgrade costing numerous "essences," collecting the right types can be pretty important. — Destructoid
Herbal essences, aussie, alberto or studio line hair care products $2.99 (use your $0.75 off or b2g1 free for herbal essences from save. ca) — Ontario Blogs Feed

More examples »

essences

View all »
Definitions (46)

American Heritage Dictionary (10)

Century Dictionary (30)

GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

WordNet (4)

Elsewhere on the web

View all »
Examples (50)

Tags

Stats

stop updating
On Twitter

Photos from

Add a related word »
Related

Word Family

Etymologies (0)

Pronunciations
Record your own »

Charts

Recently looked up

Recent Favorites

Recent Pronunciations

essences

View all » Definitions (46)

American Heritage Dictionary (10)

Century Dictionary (30)

GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

WordNet (4)

Elsewhere on the web

View all » Examples (50)

Tags

Stats

stop updating On Twitter

Photos from

Add a related word » Related

Word Family

Etymologies (0)

Pronunciations Record your own »

Charts

Recently looked up

Recent Favorites

Recent Pronunciations

View all »
Definitions (46)

View all »
Examples (50)

stop updating
On Twitter

Add a related word »
Related

Pronunciations
Record your own »