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What does the noun essay mean?

There are 12 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun essay , nine of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

essay has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

How common is the noun essay ?

How is the noun essay pronounced, british english, u.s. english, where does the noun essay come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun essay is in the late 1500s.

OED's earliest evidence for essay is from 1597, in the writing of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor, politician, and philosopher.

It is also recorded as a verb from the Middle English period (1150—1500).

essay is a borrowing from French.

Etymons: French essai .

Nearby entries

• esrache, v. 1477
• esraj, n. 1921–
• ESRO, n. 1961–
• ess, n. 1540–
• -ess, suffix¹
• -ess, suffix²
• essamplerie, n. 1393
• essart, n. 1656–
• essart, v. 1675–
• essarting, n. a1821–
• essay, n. 1597–
• essay, v. 1483–
• essayal, n. 1837–
• essayer, n. 1611–
• essayette, n. 1877–
• essayfy, v. 1815–
• essay-hatch, n. 1721–
• essayical, adj. 1860–
• essaying, n. 1861–
• essaying, adj. 1641–
• essayish, adj. 1863–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for essay, n..

essay, n. was first published in 1891; not yet revised.

essay, n. was last modified in March 2024.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

• corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into essay, n. in March 2024.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1891)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

• View essay, n. in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for essay, n., browse entry.

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A Word or Two

IS A SANDWICH A TACO

IMMODEST DISPOSAL

I. What is Etymology?

Etymology is not a rhetorical or literary device. “Etymology is the investigation of word histories.” Every word in every language has a unique origin and history; words can be born in many ways, and often their histories are quite adventurous and informative. Etymology investigates and documents the lives (mainly the origins) of words.

The etymology of a word may include many things. A word’s birthday is usually given as the date of the first known usage of the word in print. If a word, like “selfie” was created within historical times, it’s origin is described. Most words are developed over hundreds of years out of previous words, going back into the ancient past, so an etymology tries to trace that development back as far as it can, usually ending with the oldest dead language that we actually have records of. Most words had slightly or very different meanings in the ancient languages they came from, which is documented as well.

II. Examples of Etymology

Etymologies can be simple or complex. Much like the lives of people, it depends upon how much a word has traveled and what adventures it has had. Here are examples of each:

The etymology of the word ‘etymology’ is complex, as follows:

• ethimolegia “facts of the origin and development of a word,”
• from Old French etimologie, ethimologie (14c., Modern French étymologie)
• from Greek etymologia “analysis of a word to find its true origin,” properly “study of the true sense (of a word)”

The etymology of “show-and-tell” is much more simple:

show-and-tell (n.) elementary school teaching tool, 1948, American English.

III. Types of Etymology

Words are born and develop in many ways.

Many words begin with ‘roots’; a root’ is the central piece of most words, the part of the word that carries most of the meaning.

The root of ‘English’ is ‘Engl’ which came from the ancient Germanic tribe, the Angles, who spoke a language that later became English.  The -ish is just a suffix, that means “language of” in this case. 

There are 1,000’s of word-roots in English (or any language). About half of English word-roots come from ancient Germanic languages, because those languages evolved into English, however the other half of English word-roots come from ancient Latin and French because England was conquered by the Norman French 1,000 years ago and English speakers had to learn most of their vocabulary, which became part of English.  Contrary to what a lot of people think, though, English is not descended from Latin.  It’s just that most of our more educated-sounding words were borrowed from Norman French, Latin, or Greek, because they were high-status languages.

As they grow, words can change physically and they can change in meaning. They can also give birth to new words or be adopted from far places and foreign languages. In an etymology, you will find the origins of a word and see when, where and why these changes took place.

Words develop through many processes. Here are four of the most general processes:

a. Modifications

Once people begin to use a word, they may change it, perhaps to make it easier to say, or to make it sound more different from other words, or other reasons. They may also form new words by modifying old words.  ‘Selfie’ is a good example.

b. Semantic Changes

The meanings of words can change over time.

Metaphors : Technology gives us many new words through metaphor such as keyboard, mouse, and desktop .

Euphemisms : what is socially acceptable changes and then, words must, too.

• Housecleaner instead of maid .
• Server instead of waiter or waitress

Functional shift: how words get new parts of speech.

• A soldier > to soldier on
• A load > to upload
• To drive > a drive

Generalization: extending the particular to the general.

• Fanatic (religious zealot) to sports fanatic

Semantic shift: word meanings slide in meaning, as in . . .

• Mood comes from Old English mod , which meant mind or spirit
• Dream in Old English meant a festive atmosphere

c. Generation

As words are used, subtle differences become permanent changes and even new words, themselves:

• Baby talk: Jammies, bye-bye, tummy
• Blends or ‘portmanteau’ words: Spanglish, labradoodle
• Coinages (purposely invented words): Workaholic, blog
• Combining forms: Mini, clipped from miniature and added to everything: minicomputer, minivan
• Compounding: Do and Undo
• Eponyms (words named after people): Alzheimer’s disease
• Nonsense words: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, jabberwocky
• Onomatopoeia (words that sound like their meaning): Slam, crack, bump
• Phrasal verbs (getting by, down, in, off, on, over, and out): Tune in, clean up, buzz off
• Prefixing and suffixing: Pre-heat, legal-ize, re-educate-ion
• Reduplication (the doubling of a syllable or word element to strengthen or emphasize meaning): Flip-flop

d. Borrowing

Words are frequently adopted from foreign languages, usually with some changes in their sound:

• Many borrowed words are names of things or foods that have been brought into our culture from another: bar mitzvah, feng shui, yoga, taco, sushi.
• There are also many words which you would not realize come from foreign cultures, such as slogan (Gaelic), coyote (Nahuatl), and avatar (Sanskrit)

IV. The Importance of Using Etymology

Etymology is important because by knowing it you can become a better wordsmith. If you understand where your words came from, you understand them better and may be able to sue them more effectively, precisely and beautifully.  Knowing etymology will also often help you know the meanings of words you have never seen before.  If you look at two people who are related, you can see their similar features and their family tree becomes obvious. In the same way, if you are familiar with word roots and know the etymologies of some words, you can infer the meanings of other words. In this way, your vocabulary can begin to grow on its own.

V. Examples of Etymology in Literature

This section might be more accurately entitled, “etymologists in literature.” The great literary writers created much of our language.

No one has had quite the same influence on the English language as the playwright and poet William Shakespeare. His works are extensive examples of etymology at work. If you do a quick internet search, you will find pages and pages of websites devoted to words he created or adapted to more interesting purposes. It is said that he invented over 4,000 words! He could only do this by understanding the words he was borrowing from. By manipulating old words to new purposes and situations, he was able to creatively entertain his audiences in continually new ways. Here are just a few of the words he is credited with inventing:

• assassination
• fashionable

J.R.R. Tolkien was another of our language’s great etymologists. He is best known as the author of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit , but he was also a professor of linguistics and he used his knowledge of linguistics in a very different way from Shakespeare—to create realistic fictional languages, names, poetry, and cultures; much of them were closely based on Old English and Old Norse. He also worked on the staff of the Oxford English Dictionary.

Those are only a few examples. If you look at the works of any great author, you will find that they are masters of their language.

VI. Examples of Etymology in Popular Culture

Journalism is a huge part of our popular culture, and the best journalists are excellent etymologists. They must understand both culture and language to do their jobs effectively. They must be able to communicate with people in all areas of society and make themselves understood.

The technological field is one of the greatest fields for etymological development. New words are being invented every day to keep up with changing technology and its uses. Simply think of your computer and you will think of many new words and new ways words are being used: microchip, data processor, iPod, metadata, bandwidth, defrag, interface.

Acronyms are one way that words are invented, which is incredibly popular in current culture. It seems that just about everything has to be shortened to fit into a text message or a two-second sound-bite: LOL, ROFL, OMG . In addition, every institution has its own acronym: UCLA, DOD, FDA . This trend is important to etymology because things that start out as acronyms often become normal words. The words scuba, laser, radar, awol and zip (zip code) are all acronyms that have been accepted as words. Here we can see etymology hard at work.

VII. Related Terms

There are a myriad of terms related to etymology. Go back to section III of this article and you will find an extensive list of them. But, in order to be thorough, here are a few more:

• Linguistics – “the scientific study of language”
• Lexicostatistics – “the statistical study of the vocabulary of a language, with special attention to the historical links with other languages”
• Derivation – “the process whereby new words are formed from existing words or bases by affixation; “’singer’ from ‘sing’ or ‘undo’ from ‘do’ are examples of derivations”
• Folk etymology – “change in the form of a words or phrase resulting from a mistaken assumption about its composition or meaning.” For example, cockroach did not come from cock+roach , but rather from the Spanish cucaracha .

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

What is Essay? Definition, Usage, and Literary Examples

Essay definition.

An essay (ES-ey) is a nonfiction composition that explores a concept, argument, idea, or opinion from the personal perspective of the writer. Essays are usually a few pages, but they can also be book-length. Unlike other forms of nonfiction writing, like textbooks or biographies, an essay doesn’t inherently require research. Literary essayists are conveying ideas in a more informal way.

The word essay comes from the Late Latin exigere , meaning “ascertain or weigh,” which later became essayer in Old French. The late-15th-century version came to mean “test the quality of.” It’s this latter derivation that French philosopher Michel de Montaigne first used to describe a composition.

History of the Essay

Michel de Montaigne first coined the term essayer to describe Plutarch’s Oeuvres Morales , which is now widely considered to be a collection of essays. Under the new term, Montaigne wrote the first official collection of essays, Essais , in 1580. Montaigne’s goal was to pen his personal ideas in prose . In 1597, a collection of Francis Bacon’s work appeared as the first essay collection written in English. The term essayist was first used by English playwright Ben Jonson in 1609.

Types of Essays

There are many ways to categorize essays. Aldous Huxley, a leading essayist, determined that there are three major groups: personal and autobiographical, objective and factual, and abstract and universal. Within these groups, several other types can exist, including the following:

• Academic Essays : Educators frequently assign essays to encourage students to think deeply about a given subject and to assess the student’s knowledge. As such, an academic essay employs a formal language and tone, and it may include references and a bibliography. It’s objective and factual, and it typically uses a five-paragraph model of an introduction, two or more body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Several other essay types, like descriptive, argumentative, and expository, can fall under the umbrella of an academic essay.
• Analytical Essays : An analytical essay breaks down and interprets something, like an event, piece of literature, or artwork. This type of essay combines abstraction and personal viewpoints. Professional reviews of movies, TV shows, and albums are likely the most common form of analytical essays that people encounter in everyday life.
• Argumentative/Persuasive Essays : In an argumentative or persuasive essay, the essayist offers their opinion on a debatable topic and refutes opposing views. Their goal is to get the reader to agree with them. Argumentative/persuasive essays can be personal, factual, and even both at the same time. They can also be humorous or satirical; Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal is a satirical essay arguing that the best way for Irish people to get out of poverty is to sell their children to rich people as a food source.
• Descriptive Essays : In a descriptive essay, the essayist describes something, someone, or an event in great detail. The essay’s subject can be something concrete, meaning it can be experienced with any or all of the five senses, or abstract, meaning it can’t be interacted with in a physical sense.
• Expository Essay : An expository essay is a factual piece of writing that explains a particular concept or issue. Investigative journalists often write expository essays in their beat, and things like manuals or how-to guides are also written in an expository style.
• Narrative/Personal : In a narrative or personal essay, the essayist tells a story, which is usually a recounting of a personal event. Narrative and personal essays may attempt to support a moral or lesson. People are often most familiar with this category as many writers and celebrities frequently publish essay collections.

Notable Essayists

• James Baldwin, “ Notes of a Native Son ”
• Joan Didion, “ Goodbye To All That ”
• George Orwell, “ Shooting an Elephant ”
• Ralph Waldo Emerson, “ Self-Reliance ”
• Virginia Woolf, " Three Guineas "

Examples of Literary Essays

1. Michel De Montaigne, “Of Presumption”

De Montaigne’s essay explores multiple topics, including his reasons for writing essays, his dissatisfaction with contemporary education, and his own victories and failings. As the father of the essay, Montaigne details characteristics of what he thinks an essay should be. His writing has a stream-of-consciousness organization that doesn’t follow a structure, and he expresses the importance of looking inward at oneself, pointing to the essay’s personal nature.

2. Virginia Woolf, “A Room of One’s Own”

Woolf’s feminist essay, written from the perspective of an unknown, fictional woman, argues that sexism keeps women from fully realizing their potential. Woolf posits that a woman needs only an income and a room of her own to express her creativity. The fictional persona Woolf uses is meant to teach the reader a greater truth: making both literal and metaphorical space for women in the world is integral to their success and wellbeing.

3. James Baldwin, “Everybody’s Protest Novel”

In this essay, Baldwin argues that Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin doesn’t serve the black community the way his contemporaries thought it did. He points out that it equates “goodness” with how well-assimilated the black characters are in white culture:

Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a very bad novel, having, in its self-righteous, virtuous sentimentality, much in common with Little Women. Sentimentality […] is the mark of dishonesty, the inability to feel; […] and it is always, therefore, the signal of secret and violent inhumanity, the mask of cruelty.

This essay is both analytical and argumentative. Baldwin analyzes the novel and argues against those who champion it.

Further Resources on Essays

Top Writing Tips offers an in-depth history of the essay.

The Harvard Writing Center offers tips on outlining an essay.

We at SuperSummary have an excellent essay writing resource guide .

Related Terms

• Academic Essay
• Argumentative Essay
• Expository Essay
• Narrative Essay
• Persuasive Essay

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Definition of essay

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Definition of essay  (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

• composition

attempt , try , endeavor , essay , strive mean to make an effort to accomplish an end.

attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.

try is often close to attempt but may stress effort or experiment made in the hope of testing or proving something.

endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.

essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.

strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort.

Examples of essay in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'essay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle French essai , ultimately from Late Latin exagium act of weighing, from Latin ex- + agere to drive — more at agent

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing essay

• essay question
• photo - essay

Articles Related to essay

To 'Essay' or 'Assay'?

You'll know the difference if you give it the old college essay

Dictionary Entries Near essay

Cite this entry.

“Essay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essay. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of essay.

Kids Definition of essay  (Entry 2 of 2)

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Nglish: Translation of essay for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of essay for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about essay

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An introduction to etymology: eight great word origins.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and how the meaning of words has changed over the course of history. Let’s get meta and take the word “etymology” as an example. “Etymology” derives from the Greek word etumos , meaning “true.” Etumologia was the study of words’ “true meanings.” This evolved into “etymology” by way of the Old French ethimologie . That’s all fairly straightforward, but there are many, many words in the English language that have unexpected and fascinating origins. Here are a few of our favorite examples.

1. Avocado (Origin: Nahuatl)

The word avocado comes from Spanish aguacate , which in turn comes from the Nahuatl ahuacatl , meaning testicle. Surprised? Perhaps, but the more one thinks about it, the less surprising it gets — they do rather resemble a man’s soft spot, and this resemblance becomes even more pronounced when you see avocado duos dangling clumsily from trees.

Nahuatl is the language of the Aztecs and is still spoken by approximately 1.5 million people native to Mexico and other parts of Central America. Avocado isn’t the only Nahuatl word that has been borrowed by the English language; chili, chocolate, tomato and guacamole were also coined by speakers of Nahuatl. Indeed, the -mole of guacamole is derived from the Nahuatl molli , which means sauce. It’s a good thing the origin of this word has been obfuscated on its way into the English language. Otherwise, guacamole ( Nahuatl: ahuacamolli) probably wouldn’t be as popular as it is.

2. Cappuccino (Origin: Italian/German)

Next time you’re trying to flirt with someone at your local coffee shop, impress them with this whimsical anecdote about the origin of the word cappuccino : it’s the diminutive form of the word cappuccio , which means “hood” in Italian. Wondering what the link is between a (little) hood and a cappuccino? One must look no further than the Capuchin Monks, whose hooded habits were a dark, oak brown similar to the color of a good cappuccino.

The first recorded use of the word was in 1790 in Vienna, Austria. Wilhelm Tissot jotted down a recipe for an exquisite Kapuzinerkaffee (lit. “Capuchin coffee”), which was rather different in constitution to its modern-day successor, containing sugar, cream and egg yolks. The current, somewhat simplified recipe now consists of espresso and foamed milk, but there are still parts of Austria where you can order a good ol’ Kapuziner .

3. Disaster (Origin: Italian/Greek)

The word disaster has been passed around Europe like a hot potato. The English version is most closely tied to the French désastre , which is derived from the Old Italian disastro , itself derived from Greek. The pejorative prefix dis- and aster (star) can be interpreted as bad star , or an ill-starred event . The ancient Greeks were fascinated by astronomy and the cosmos, and believed wholly in the influence of celestial bodies on terrestrial life. For them, a disaster was a particular kind of calamity, the causes of which could be attributed to an unfavorable and uncontrollable alignment of planets. It’s therefore interesting to note that the strict, modern English definition of disaster explicitly stipulates that a disaster is human-made, or the consequence of human failure.

4. Handicap (Origin: English)

This word originates from the 17th-century English trading game “hand-in-cap.” The game involved two players and an arbitrator, or umpire. The players would present two possessions they would like to trade. The umpire would then decide whether the possessions were of equal value or not, and if they weren’t, would calculate the discrepancy. The owner of the lesser object would make up the difference with money, and then all three participants would place forfeit money into a hat. If the two players agreed with the umpire’s valuation, they would remove their hands from the hat with their palm open. If they disagreed, they would pull out their hands clenched in a fist. If both agreed or disagreed, the umpire would get the forfeit money, while if one agreed and the other didn’t, the player who approved the transaction would receive the forfeit money.

Over time, hand-in-cap came to be known as “handicap” and started to be used to refer to any kind of equalization or balancing of a contest or game. The word handicap is still used in many sports today, such as golf and horse racing. Indeed, horse racing was probably the first sport to introduce the term in order to define an umpire’s decision to add more weight to a horse so that it runs equally to its competitors. This notion of being burdened or put at a disadvantage was carried over to describe people with a disability in the early 20th century. By the mid-20th century, it was widely used, but it has since fallen out of the popular lexicon.

5. Jeans (Origin: Italian)

Although jeans are quintessentially American, and their invention is commonly attributed to Jacob W. Davis and Levi Strauss, the etymology of the popular garment is actually of European origin. The fabric Strauss used for his patented, mass-produced trousers was first produced in Genoa, Italy and Nimes, France. Why’s that significant? Well, the French word for Genoa is Gênes , and the name “jeans” is likely an anglicization of the material’s city of origin. Similarly, the word “denim” most likely comes from de Nimes , meaning “from Nimes” in French. Although we often talk about denim jeans nowadays, the two materials actually differed. Denim was coarser, more durable and of higher quality than the toughened cotton corduroy manufactured in Genoa. Workers in Northern Italy were sporting jeans as early as the 17th century, long before post-war American subcultures picked up on them as a fashion accessory.

6. Salary (Origin: Latin)

The word “salary” comes from the Latin salarium , meaning “salt money.”

In ancient times, salt was used for many important things and was often referred to as “white gold.” It could be used as an antiseptic to treat wounds — In Romance languages one can recognize a connection between sal/sale , meaning “salt,” and salud/saude/salute , meaning “health”) — and to preserve food, and also as a method of payment in Greece and Rome.

As far back as the Egyptian Empire, laborers were paid with salt that they could use to preserve their food. The Roman Empire continued using this form of payment and it took on the name “salary” for “that which was given to workers at the end of the working month,” which adds a new dimension to the notion of a company’s solvency.

7. Trivial (Origin: Latin)

“Trivial” originates from the Latin word trivium , which was used to mean “a place where three roads meet” ( tri- meaning “three,” and -vium from via , meaning “road”). A trivium gained the connotation of being an open, public place — a mini agora — where people from across society’s technicolor spectrum could relax, chat and simply coexist. The adjective trivialis was a derivative of trivium and came to mean “vulgar, ordinary, of little importance, common and contemporary,” and the English adjective trivial carries much of this definition to this day: tired, ordinary, commonplace; of little use, import, consequence or significance.

8. Whiskey (Origin: Gaelic)

Medieval monks called it aqua vitae , meaning “life water.” The expression was transformed into uisce beatha when it was transferred to Gaelic. As time passed and the word was anglicized, uisce evolved into uige , usque , and then uisky , which bears an obvious and close resemblance to “whiskey.”

You may have noticed that you can spell the drink two different ways — “whiskey” and “whisky.” Some people believe the extra “e” was added to by Irish and American distilleries to differentiate their higher quality whiskeys during a period when Scottish whisky had a bad reputation.

Scotch was also introduced to denominate a Scottish whisky, and the word “whiskey” has been adopted in other countries for quite different reasons. In some South American countries, it’s used as an alternative to “cheese” to encourage people to smile when being photographed. How and why we chose “cheese,” and why the South Americans chose “whiskey” (and the Spanish patata , or “potato”) is a story for another time.

Why Study Etymology?

Etymology not only enhances your understanding of your native language but also gives you insights into its shared roots with other languages. Prior to reading this article, would you have thought that every time you say “avocado,” you’re prompting Moctezuma to chuckle in his tomb? Some word origins are wonderfully idiosyncratic and make for great anecdotes, while others demonstrate common standards and rules which help you assimilate new words and terms across languages.

Take the simple examples of the Latin prefixes con- (also “com-” in English) and dis- , which are widely used in Romance languages and indicate “togetherness” and “apartness,” respectively. Knowing such elements of etymology can vastly improve your guesswork when it comes to deciphering words, whether it be concatenate ( con – and -catenate , from catena , meaning “chain”; a verb meaning to chain together) or disconsolate ( dis- and con – and -solate , from solari , meaning “to comfort”; an adjective describing someone who can’t be comforted or consoled).

Want to explore further? We encourage you to put on your etymologist’s hat and venture into the jungle of meaning.

Illustrations by Raúl Soria

The Etymology of Words and Their Surprising Histories

The Surprising Origins of Everyday Words

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

The etymology of a word refers to its origin and historical development: that is, its earliest known use, its transmission from one language to another, and its changes in form and meaning . Etymology is also the term for the branch of linguistics that studies word histories.

What's the Difference Between a Definition and an Etymology?

A definition tells us what a word means and how it's used in our own time. An etymology tells us where a word came from (often, but not always, from another language) and what it used to mean.

For example, according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language , the definition of the word disaster is "an occurrence causing widespread destruction and distress; a catastrophe" or "a grave misfortune." But the etymology of the word disaster takes us back to a time when people commonly blamed great misfortunes on the influence of the stars.

Disaster first appeared in English in the late 16th century, just in time for Shakespeare to use the word in the play King Lear . It arrived by way of the Old Italian word disastro , which meant "unfavorable to one's stars."

This older, astrological sense of disaster becomes easier to understand when we study its Latin root word , astrum , which also appears in our modern "star" word astronomy . With the negative Latin prefix dis- ("apart") added to astrum ("star"), the word (in Latin, Old Italian, and Middle French) conveyed the idea that a catastrophe could be traced to the "evil influence of a star or planet" (a definition that the dictionary tells us is now " obsolete ").

Is the Etymology of a Word Its True Definition?

Not at all, though people sometimes try to make this argument. The word etymology is derived from the Greek word etymon , which means "the true sense of a word." But in fact the original meaning of a word is often different from its contemporary definition.

The meanings of many words have changed over time, and older senses of a word may grow uncommon or disappear entirely from everyday use. Disaster , for instance, no longer means the "evil influence of a star or planet," just as consider no longer means "to observe the stars."

Let's look at another example. Our English word salary is defined by The American Heritage Dictionary  as "fixed compensation for services, paid to a person on a regular basis." Its etymology can be traced back 2,000 years to sal , the Latin word for salt. So what's the connection between salt and salary?

The Roman historian Pliny the Elder tells us that "in Rome, a soldier was paid in salt," which back then was widely used as a food preservative. Eventually, this salarium came to signify a stipend paid in any form, usually money. Even today the expression "worth your salt" indicates that you're working hard and earning your salary. However, this doesn't mean that salt is the true definition of salary .

Where Do Words Come From?

New words have entered (and continue to enter) the English language in many different ways. Here are some of the most common methods.

• Borrowing The majority of the words used in modern English have been borrowed from other languages. Although most of our vocabulary comes from Latin and Greek (often by way of other European languages), English has borrowed words from more than 300 different languages around the world. Here are just a few examples: futon (from the Japanese word for "bedclothes, bedding")
• hamster (Middle High German hamastra )
• kangaroo (Aboriginal language of Guugu Yimidhirr, gangurru , referring to a species of kangaroo)
• kink (Dutch, "twist in a rope")
• moccasin (Native American Indian, Virginia Algonquian, akin to Powhatan mäkäsn and Ojibwa makisin )
• molasses (Portuguese melaços , from Late Latin mellceum , from Latin mel , "honey")
• muscle (Latin musculus , "mouse")
• slogan (alteration of Scots slogorne , "battle cry")
• smorgasbord (Swedish, literally "bread and butter table")
• whiskey (Old Irish uisce , "water," and bethad , "of life")
• Clipping or Shortening Some new words are simply shortened forms of existing words, for instance indie from independent ; exam from examination ; flu from influenza , and fax from facsimile .
• Compounding A new word may also be created by combining two or more existing words: fire engine , for example, and babysitter .
• Blends A blend, also called a portmanteau word , is a word formed by merging the sounds and meanings of two or more other words. Examples include moped , from mo(tor) + ped(al), and brunch , from br(eakfast) + (l)unch.
• Conversion or Functional Shift New words are often formed by changing an existing word from one part of speech to another. For example, innovations in technology have encouraged the transformation of the nouns network , Google , and  microwave  into verbs.
• Transfer of Proper Nouns Sometimes the names of people, places, and things become generalized vocabulary words. For instance, the noun maverick was derived from the name of an American cattleman, Samuel Augustus Maverick. The saxophone was named after Sax , the surname of a 19th-century Belgian family that made musical instruments.
• Neologisms or Creative Coinages Now and then, new products or processes inspire the creation of entirely new words. Such neologisms are usually short lived, never even making it into a dictionary. Nevertheless, some have endured, for example quark (coined by novelist James Joyce), galumph (Lewis Carroll), aspirin (originally a trademark ), grok (Robert A. Heinlein).
• Imitation of Sounds Words are also created by onomatopoeia, naming things by imitating the sounds that are associated with them: boo, bow-wow, tinkle, click .

Why Should We Care About Word Histories?

If a word's etymology is not the same as its definition, why should we care at all about word histories? Well, for one thing, understanding how words have developed can teach us a great deal about our cultural history. In addition, studying the histories of familiar words can help us deduce the meanings of unfamiliar words, thereby enriching our vocabularies. Finally, word stories are often both entertaining and thought provoking. In short, as any youngster can tell you, words are fun .

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Definition of essay noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• I have to write an essay this weekend.
• essay on something an essay on the causes of the First World War
• essay about somebody/something Have you done your essay about Napoleon yet?
• in an essay He made some very good points in his essay.
• Essays handed in late will not be accepted.
• Have you done your essay yet?
• He concludes the essay by calling for a corrective.
• I finished my essay about 10 o'clock last night!
• Lunch was the only time she could finish her essay assignment.
• We have to write an essay on the environment.
• You have to answer 3 out of 8 essay questions in the exam.
• the teenage winner of an essay contest
• We have to write an essay on the causes of the First World War.
• be entitled something
• be titled something
• address something
• in an/​the essay
• essay about

Take your English to the next level

The Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus explains the difference between groups of similar words. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app

A broadly conceptualized reference tool that provides source materials for etymological research. For each word’s etymology, there is a bibliographic entry that lists the word origin’s primary sources, specifically, where it was first found in use. Featuring the history of more than 13,000 English words, their cognates, and their foreign etymons, this is a full-fledged compendium of resources indispensable to any scholar of word origins.

This bibliography will certainly remain a stable reference book of English etymology for many years into the future.

Studia Etymologica Cracoviensia

Literature , Reference

Distinguished linguistics scholar Anatoly Liberman set out the frame for this volume in An Analytic Dictionary of English Etymology. Here, Liberman’s landmark scholarship lay the groundwork for his forthcoming multivolume analytic dictionary of the English language. A Bibliography of English Etymology is a broadly conceptualized reference tool that provides source materials for etymological research. For each word’s etymology, there is a bibliographic entry that lists the word origin’s primary sources, specifically, where it was first found in use. Featuring the history of more than 13,000 English words, their cognates, and their foreign etymons, this is a full-fledged compendium of resources indispensable to any scholar of word origins.

Modern Language Association’s Prize for a Distinguished Bibliography

$200.00 cloth/jacket ISBN 978-0-8166-6772-7 976 pages, 8 1/2 x 11, 2009

Anatoly Liberman is professor of Germanic philology at the University of Minnesota. He has published many works including linguistics, etymology, and structuralism.

Professor Liberman is not only a distinguished linguistics scholar, but also one of the leading etymologists in the academic world. Undoubtedly, his Bibliography of English Etymology will remain an indispensable research tool to all scholars working in English historical linguistics, in particular in English etymology and even beyond.

Interdisciplinary Journal for Germanic Linguistics and Semiotic Analysis

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Meaning of essay in English

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• I want to finish off this essay before I go to bed .
• His essay was full of spelling errors .
• Have you given that essay in yet ?
• Have you handed in your history essay yet ?
• I'd like to discuss the first point in your essay.
• boilerplate
• composition
• dissertation
• essay question
• peer review
• go after someone
• go all out idiom
• go down swinging/fighting idiom
• go for it idiom
• go for someone
• shoot the works idiom
• smarten (someone/something) up
• smarten up your act idiom
• square the circle idiom
• step on the gas idiom

essay | American Dictionary

Examples of essay, collocations with essay.

These are words often used in combination with essay .

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

Translations of essay

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Word of the Day

on top of the world

extremely happy

Keeping up appearances (Talking about how things seem)

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How to Define a Word in an Essay: Text, Sentence, or Paragraph

• by Joseph Kenas
• December 1, 2023
• Writing Tips

While writing your essay, you may feel the passion for using specific words that could be challenging for the reader to understand what you are referring to. In this guide, we teach you how to define a word in an essay, in a text, sentence, or within a paragraph.

In as much as you understand the easy topic inside out, the potential reader may hang while reading new vocabulary. 

It could be awkward if you write word-to-word definitions from your dictionary. Also, it could disorganize or be confusing if you use the definition in the wrong part.

The best way to use definitions effectively is by using your own words and remaining concise. You can opt to introduce definitions in the essay’s body instead of in the introduction. 

Before elaborating on the word in definition terms, determine whether the word is unusual enough to require a definition.

While is it acceptable for you to define technical jargon in your essay, avoid defining every advanced vocabulary in the essay. 

Rephrase the definition in your own words. You must include a full quotation if you are word-to-word definition from the dictionary. For instance, you can make the sentence flow better by

defining a word like ‘workout’, as follows: “Workout is an exercise of improving one’s fitness and performance.”

If you are using in-text citations, you should cite the dictionary or the textbook that you took the definition from when you end the sentences.

When it is the first time you are using such a source, then use the full title backed by the abbreviation. By doing correct referencing of the definition source you used, you will be avoiding plagiarism in your essay. 

Let the definition be in the body and not the introduction since the introduction ought to catch the reader’s attention as you lay your thesis. Alternatively, if you want to avoid defining a word, then use synonyms.

Keep the definition as short as possible. But, if you believe the definition could belong, then you can break it into shorter sentences to bring clarity to your essay. 

How to Define a Word in a Sentence

Do you want to explain something in the middle of the sentence without confusing the reader? 

While it is true that you may be harboring a lot of terminologies in your context that require some explanation, you must do it tactfully to promote the flow of your sentences well. 

There are three ways you can insert a definition in the mid-sentence as provided by the following examples. 

1. By Using Commas

You can use commas as a way of punctuating your sentence to enhance the meaning. For example:

“John and Joseph had to see Bill gates, the leader of Microsoft Corporation, and advise him….”

2. Em and En Dashes 

They are not synonymous with hyphens but are needed to punctuate your sentence and restore your intended meaning. For example, we can paraphrase the above sentence to appear as follows:

“John and Joseph had to see Bill gates — the leader of Microsoft Corporation — and advise him….”

3. Parenthetical Aside

It is also another suitable method to use when inserting a definition in the mid-sentence to update the reader with additional facts. 

“John and Joseph had to see Bill gates (the leader of Microsoft Corporation) and advise him….”

How to Quote a Definition in a Sentence/Essay

When writing your essay, you will encounter such issues, which are usually unavoidable. If we assume that you are using APA style for referencing, one must quote a definition inside double quotes. 

That is “Definition,” and put the author, year, and page numbers. 

A definition in an essay examples

• McCarthy and George (1990) defined the essay as “a literary composition which represents author’s arguments on a specific topic.” P.87
• An essay is “a literary composition which represents author’s arguments on a specific topic.” (McCarthy and George, 1990, P.87)
• McCarthy and George (1990, P.87) defined an essay as “a literary composition which represents author’s arguments on a specific topic.”

Such definitions come in handy when you are writing essays that require you to understand one thing well. A good example is when writing a comparison essay or a definition essay. Let us explore how to write a definition essay here.

Tips on How to Write a Definition Essay

A definition essay could be a piece of writing where you write your own meaning. One must ensure that you research your definition well and support it with evidence.

In addition, it could be an explanation of what specific terms mean in your context. This becomes a paragraph. Check out how to write good definition paragraphs and understand them from another perspective.

Some of the terms could have literal meanings, like a phone, tablet, or spoon.

Other abstracts, such as truth, love, or success, will depend on the person’s point of view.

Different papers carry varying meanings; hence when writing one, you must be precise to help the reader understand what you are talking about. 

It could be reasonable if you remain unique as you write a definition essay. Avoid expressing meaning using the same words.

Before you choose a definition essay topic, ensure that you select an abstract word that has a complex meaning. Also, ensure that the same word is indisputable.

Tips on How to Define a Word in a Text or Paragraph

1. select a word.

The main point of view when writing an essay is selecting an idea or concept. Select a word that will describe an idea like hate, love, etc., and ensure that you understand the term you are choosing completely. 

You can read from the dictionary but avoid extracting the definition from there. Instead, explain it in your own words.

Suppose your concept is open, then find your unique definition based on experience. After that, find the basis to support your definitions. 

2. Select a Word That You Know

It is suitable to settle for the word that you are familiar with and you have a basic understanding of the word. Doing so helps you to write easily. For example, you can select a word like ‘pride’ because you understand its meaning and what it feels as you use it in your context. 

3. Select a Word With Different Meanings 

Selecting a word with plural meanings comes in handy when you believe it will bring a different meaning to various people. As you write about it, there is an opportunity to involve your understanding and interpretations of other people. 

For example, one can select a word like “love” because it comes with varying meanings. Every person will understand and interoperate it uniquely. 

4. Avoid Specific Things and Objects 

Stay away from selecting such things as “cups “or “pillow” because it complicates your writing because you cannot write a lot on specific objects. That makes the essay appear superficial and not shrewd enough.  

5. Go Online

With an internet connection, you can seek an online platform and get enough information about what you want. The internet has several scholarly academic blogs and articles.

Additionally, you can still access videos created by smart people who deeply researched different words and shared them with you.   

6. Access the Dictionary 

It is true that every official word has a deeper dictionary meaning. Tactfully, it is vital that you familiarize yourself with yourself before using it in your contexts.

You must take a closer look at the definition structure before deciding to use it. Ensure that you explain it in your own understanding when writing about it. 

7. Know the Origin of the Word

Before using a specific word, it is critical to study and understand its origin. One way of researching the word is involving encyclopedias to get theories and ideas about that particular word.

For instance, if you are picking a word in the medical field, then you should consult the encyclopedia in the medical field.

8. Ask Colleagues  

While it is crucial to have your perspective about the word, you can still ask friends and family about the meaning of that particular word.

Let them explain to you what it feels when you mention such a particular word. Later, you can record the answers and utilize them as your sources.

Joseph is a freelance journalist and a part-time writer with a particular interest in the gig economy. He writes about schooling, college life, and changing trends in education. When not writing, Joseph is hiking or playing chess.

Where did the word essay come from?

'The etymology of the word essay is instructive. Essay is derived, by way of Middle English, from the Middle French essai . The French word was itself derived from the late Latin exagium (act of weighing).' OR 'Essay derives from the French infinitive essayer - - - '' to try'' or ''to attempt''.'

Add your answer:

What are the syllables for essay?

The word essay has two syllables. The syllables in the word are es-say.

What is the word count for an essay of an extract?

An essay that is written on exact or any topic should have a high word count. Once an essay is complete then the word count can be computed by most word processing document. Without a specific essay to review there is no exact word count.

Instead of using I in a essay paper what word do you use?

Should the word teens be capitalized in essay?

The original meaning of the word essay' is which of these, what should you do if you come across an unusual word or phrase in an essay.

If you come across an unusual word or phrase in an essay, you should look it up in a dictionary or online to understand its meaning. This will help you grasp the context in which it is used and enhance your comprehension of the essay. If necessary, you can also ask the author or a teacher for clarification.

What language does essay come from?

"essay" comes from the French language "essayer" and that in turn originates from the latin word "exigere" which means to test, examine.

Celery is important in the essay A Word for Autumn because it?

shows that the end of the summer has come.

What pronoun is in the word essay?

The word essay is a noun. The pronoun used to represent essay is it. Note: the letters in 'essay' do not spell any pronoun.

What is the homophone for the word essay?

The homophone for the word "essay" is "ese."

Is essay a french word?

The word essay derives from the Frenchinfinitive essayer, "to try" or "to attempt". In English essay first meant "a trial" or "an attempt"

What is a good word to start off a essay?

The purpose of the essay is

What is the Tagalog for essay?

Essay in Tagalog is "Sanaysay or sanay sa pagsasalaysay"

2000 word essay on respect?

respect is not asking for a 2000 word essay sta loco este wey

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• 40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument . Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

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Deciphering the Essence of Joy: Understanding the Meaning of Happiness

This essay about the essence of joy explores how it transcends fleeting pleasures and external circumstances, rooted instead in inner peace and connection. It highlights the importance of empathy, resilience, and self-discovery in experiencing true happiness. Through simple moments and acts of kindness, joy manifests as a beacon of hope even in times of adversity. Ultimately, it emphasizes that happiness is found not in external achievements but in living a life guided by wisdom, compassion, and integrity, connecting us to ourselves and to the world around us.

How it works

In the tapestry of human experience, joy weaves its vibrant threads, illuminating the journey of life with its radiant hues. Yet, the essence of joy often eludes precise definition, residing in the intangible realm of emotions and perceptions. It is a subject of perennial fascination and inquiry, as ancient as humanity itself, yet endlessly enigmatic. To decipher the essence of joy is to embark on a profound exploration into the depths of the human spirit, to unravel the mysteries of happiness and uncover its true meaning.

At its core, joy transcends mere pleasure or fleeting happiness; it is a state of being that emanates from within, rooted in profound contentment and fulfillment. Unlike the ephemeral highs of pleasure, which are often dependent on external circumstances, joy springs forth from a wellspring of inner peace and harmony. It is not contingent upon wealth, status, or material possessions but flourishes in the fertile soil of gratitude, compassion, and connection.

To understand the meaning of happiness is to recognize that it is a multifaceted gem, refracting light in myriad ways. It encompasses moments of profound bliss and simple pleasures, the warmth of human relationships, the pursuit of meaningful goals, and the cultivation of inner virtues. Happiness is both a journey and a destination, a dynamic interplay between fleeting experiences of delight and enduring states of contentment.

In our modern world, the pursuit of happiness often takes on the guise of external achievement and consumption, leading many astray in a relentless quest for more. Yet, true joy cannot be found in the accumulation of wealth or the attainment of superficial markers of success. It is a subtle alchemy of the heart, requiring us to attune ourselves to the whispers of our soul and the rhythms of the natural world.

The essence of joy reveals itself in the simplest of moments: a shared smile, a tender embrace, the gentle caress of a breeze against our skin. It is woven into the fabric of everyday life, waiting to be discovered amidst the hustle and bustle of the mundane. In a world consumed by busyness and distraction, the pursuit of joy invites us to slow down, to savor the richness of each moment, and to cultivate a deeper sense of presence and awareness.

Moreover, joy is intimately intertwined with our capacity for empathy and compassion, as it flourishes in the soil of meaningful connections and acts of kindness. When we extend a helping hand to those in need or offer a listening ear to a friend in distress, we not only alleviate their suffering but also nurture our own sense of well-being. For in the act of giving, we receive, and in the embrace of others, we find solace and belonging.

Yet, the path to joy is not always smooth, for it is often obstructed by the shadows of fear, doubt, and pain. In moments of adversity and despair, the light of joy may seem dim, obscured by the heavy clouds of sorrow. And yet, it is precisely in these dark moments that the true essence of joy reveals itself, as a beacon of hope amidst the storm.

For joy is not the absence of suffering but rather the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. It is the courage to find meaning and purpose in the midst of pain, to embrace life in all its complexity and uncertainty. It is the triumph of love over fear, of hope over despair, and of light over darkness.

In essence, deciphering the essence of joy is an invitation to delve deep into the depths of our own being, to uncover the wellsprings of happiness that lie dormant within us. It is a journey of self-discovery and self-transcendence, leading us to the realization that true joy resides not in the external world but in the sanctuary of our own hearts.

Ultimately, the meaning of happiness lies not in the pursuit of pleasure or the avoidance of pain but in the cultivation of a life well-lived, guided by principles of wisdom, compassion, and integrity. It is a journey of growth and transformation, of becoming more fully ourselves and awakening to the infinite possibilities that lie within us.

In the tapestry of human experience, joy weaves its vibrant threads, connecting us to ourselves, to each other, and to the vast cosmos that surrounds us. It is a reminder that we are not separate beings but interconnected strands in the web of life, bound together by the ineffable bonds of love and understanding.

As we journey through life, may we be guided by the light of joy, illuminating our path with its radiant glow and infusing each moment with meaning and purpose. For in the end, it is not the destination that matters but the beauty of the journey itself, and the joy we discover along the way.

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PapersOwl.com. (2024). Deciphering the Essence of Joy: Understanding the Meaning of Happiness . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/deciphering-the-essence-of-joy-understanding-the-meaning-of-happiness/ [Accessed: 1-Jun-2024]

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Essay on Origin Of Life

Students are often asked to write an essay on Origin Of Life in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Origin Of Life

What is life.

Life is everything that can breathe, grow, reproduce, and change. It includes tiny bacteria, plants, animals, and humans. Scientists are curious about how life started on Earth.

Early Earth Conditions

Our planet formed about 4.5 billion years ago. It was very hot, with volcanoes and a sea of melted rocks. Over time, it cooled down, water appeared, and the right conditions for life were set.

The First Living Things

The first life forms were probably simple cells. They appeared around 3.5 billion years ago. These cells could make copies of themselves and were the start of all living things.

Where Did Life Come From?

Some scientists think life’s building blocks came from space, while others believe they formed in Earth’s oceans. These tiny parts joined together to make the first life.

Still a Mystery

Even today, how life exactly began is not known. Scientists keep studying and finding clues. It’s one of the biggest questions we’re trying to answer.

250 Words Essay on Origin Of Life

What is the origin of life.

The origin of life is a big question that has puzzled people for a long time. It is about how the first tiny living things appeared on Earth billions of years ago. Scientists think the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old, and life started after the planet cooled down and had oceans.

The First Building Blocks

Life started very simple. Before there were plants and animals, there were small chemicals that joined together in the water. These chemicals formed the building blocks of life, like the first simple cells. Think of it like putting together pieces of a puzzle. When the pieces fit just right, you get the start of life.

From Simple to Complex

The first life forms were probably not like anything alive today. They were much simpler. Over a very long time, these simple life forms changed little by little. They became more complex and turned into the many different kinds of plants and animals we see now. This process is called evolution.

Even with all the science we have, no one knows exactly how the first life started. There are many ideas, but it’s hard to prove them. Scientists keep studying this mystery, hoping to find more clues.

In Conclusion

The story of how life began is like a huge puzzle that we are still putting together. It’s an exciting story that shows just how amazing our planet is, with life that started so simple and grew into the rich variety we know today.

500 Words Essay on Origin Of Life

The origin of life is a big question that has puzzled people for a very long time. It’s about how living things first started on our planet, Earth. Imagine a world billions of years ago with no animals, plants, or people. It’s hard to think about, but that’s how things were before life began.

The Early Earth

Our planet formed about 4.5 billion years ago. It was very different from what we see now. It was hot, with lots of volcanoes and a sea of lava. The air was full of gases like carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water vapor. There was no oxygen to breathe. In this harsh world, the first tiny steps toward life were taken.

From Non-living to Living

Scientists believe that the first living things were very simple. They were not animals or plants but tiny bits that could make copies of themselves. This happened in the water, maybe near hot underwater vents or small pools. These bits were made from chemicals that joined together in just the right way. When they made copies of themselves, life slowly started to grow and change.

The Soup Theory

One idea about how life began is called the “soup theory.” It suggests that Earth’s early oceans were like a big soup full of different chemicals. With energy from the sun, lightning, or volcanoes, these chemicals formed the building blocks of life. These building blocks then joined together to make the first simple living things.

The Space Idea

Some people think that the ingredients for life came from space. Tiny dust particles from comets or meteorites could have brought important chemicals to Earth. These space chemicals might have helped start life when they mixed with Earth’s own chemicals.

The First Cells

The first real living things were probably cells. A cell is like a tiny bag that holds all the parts needed for life. The first cells were very simple, but over time they became more complex. Some learned to use the sun’s energy, and others learned to eat different things.

Life Gets More Complex

Once the first cells were here, life started to get more interesting. Cells joined together to make bigger things. Some of these became plants, others became animals, and life spread to every part of the planet. The air slowly filled with oxygen, which helped new kinds of life to start.

The story of how life began is still not fully known. Scientists are like detectives, looking for clues in rocks, fossils, and even in space. They use experiments to test their ideas about how life could have started. It’s a big mystery, but piece by piece, we’re learning more about the amazing start of life on Earth.

This story of life’s beginning shows how from simple bits and pieces, the rich and diverse world we know today came to be. It’s a journey of billions of years, from the first tiny cells to the huge variety of life we see around us. And it’s a journey that’s still going on, as life continues to change and evolve.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Origin Of Language
• Essay on How Your Parents Raised You
• Essay on Human Being

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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