essence
essence — noun
1. the most basic and defining quality that gives something its true character
the most basic and defining quality that gives something its true character
The essence of democracy is giving citizens a voice in how they are governed.
the essence of + abstract noun phrase
Daichi captured the essence of Japanese design in his minimalist furniture.
capture the essence of
The essence of her argument was that the company needed to listen to customers first.
For Sade, the essence of good health is a balanced diet and regular exercise.
Kian believes the essence of happiness lies in meaningful relationships, not money.
- appearance
what something seems to be, as opposed to what it truly is
文法句型
essence + of
用法筆記
Usually followed by 'of' to specify what is being described. This sense is almost always uncountable — you would not say 'an essence of democracy'.
常見錯誤
2. used to state the most basic or important quality of something, especially after
used to state the most basic or important quality of something, especially after removing less important details
In essence, the proposal is a plan to reduce costs by cutting the workforce.
in essence at sentence start — summarising
The two theories appear different, but in essence they say the same thing.
Reema's speech was long, but in essence she was asking for more research funding.
The new law is, in essence, a ban on single-use plastic bags across the country.
- basically
more informal and very common in spoken English
- fundamentally
stresses the foundational aspect more strongly
文法句型
in essence + [clause]
用法筆記
'In essence' is a fixed adverbial phrase used to introduce a simplified summary. It can appear at the start of a sentence, as a parenthetical interruption, or at the end.
3. extremely important and necessary for something to succeed or happen in the way
extremely important and necessary for something to succeed or happen in the way you want
In mountain rescue operations, speed is of the essence — every minute counts.
speed is of the essence — typical collocation
For this negotiation to succeed, patience is of the essence; rushing would ruin the deal.
When applying for a visa, precision is of the essence — any mistake can cause long delays.
In legal contracts, clarity is of the essence to prevent misunderstandings later on.
- unimportant
not worth special attention or effort
文法句型
[noun] + be + of the essence
用法筆記
Only used in the fixed expression 'be of the essence'. The most common subjects are 'time', 'speed', 'patience', and 'precision'. Common in legal, medical, and emergency contexts.
常見錯誤
4. a concentrated substance from plants, flowers, or fruits that gives a strong tas
a concentrated substance from plants, flowers, or fruits that gives a strong taste or smell when added to foods, drinks, or beauty products
Putri added a teaspoon of vanilla essence to the cake batter for extra flavour.
vanilla essence — cooking use
The perfume is made from the essence of roses grown in the south of France.
essence of + flower — perfume use
Anong bought almond essence from the baking shop to make traditional cookies.
Some natural cleaning products use the essence of lemon for their fresh scent.
- extract
more general; 'vanilla extract' is common in American English for the same product
- essential oil
refers specifically to natural oils for aromatherapy, not cooking
文法句型
[flavour] + essence
essence of + [plant]
用法筆記
In cooking, 'essence' often refers to artificial or natural flavouring liquids (vanilla essence, almond essence), while 'essential oil' refers to natural plant oils used in aromatherapy, not food. In British English 'vanilla essence' is common; American English more often uses 'vanilla extract'.