Essence | Mean of essence in English Dictionary

/ˈɛsn̩s/

• Noun
• the basic nature of a thing
1. The essence of love is unselfishness.
2. The book's illustrations capture the essence of the story.
3. Competition is the (very) essence of capitalism.
• 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
1. essence of peppermint/lemon
• at the most basic level
1. He was in essence [=basically, essentially, fundamentally] an honest person.
2. In essence, I believe that a real solution is not possible.

• of the greatest importance
1. Time/speed is of the essence when dealing with a medical emergency.