/ noun ˈɛs eɪ for 1, 2; ˈɛs eɪ, ɛˈseɪ for 3-5; verb ɛˈseɪ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR essay ON THESAURUS.COM
noun
a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative.
anything resembling such a composition: a picture essay.
an effort to perform or accomplish something; attempt.
Philately. a design for a proposed stamp differing in any way from the design of the stamp as issued.
Obsolete. a tentative effort; trial; assay.
verb (used with object)
to try; attempt.
to put to the test; make trial of.
Origin of essay
1475–85; <Middle French essayer, cognate with Anglo-French assayer to assay <Late Latin exagium a weighing, equivalent to *exag(ere), for Latin exigere to examine, test, literally, to drive out (see exact) + -ium-ium
OTHER WORDS FROM essay
es·say·er,nounpre·es·say,verb (used without object)un·es·sayed,adjectivewell-es·sayed,adjective
As several of my colleagues commented, the result is good enough that it could pass for an essay written by a first-year undergraduate, and even get a pretty decent grade.
Welcome to the Next Level of Bullshit - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Raphaël Millière|September 9, 2020|Nautilus
GPT-3 also raises concerns about the future of essay writing in the education system.
Welcome to the Next Level of Bullshit - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Raphaël Millière|September 9, 2020|Nautilus
This little essay helps focus on self-knowledge in what you’re best at, and how you should prioritize your time.
Book recommendations from Fortune’s 40 under 40 in health|Rachel King|September 9, 2020|Fortune
As Steven Feldstein argues in the opening essay, technonationalism plays a part in the strengthening of other autocracies too.
A world divided into “cans” and “cannots”|Katie McLean|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
He’s written a collection of essays on civil engineering life titled Bridginess, and to this day he and Lauren go on “bridge dates,” where they enjoy a meal and admire the view of a nearby span.
A life bridging engineering and education|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Someone recently sent me an old Joan Didion essay on self-respect that appeared in Vogue.
Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination|Mindy Farabee|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In “Barry,” an essay in Not That Kind of Girl, Dunham describes being sexually assaulted.
The Right's Rape Trolls vs. Lena Dunham|Emily Shire|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nolte could not locate a “Barry” that fit the details listed in Dunham's essay.
The Right's Rape Trolls vs. Lena Dunham|Emily Shire|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her own muddled feelings of confusion, shame, and fear are what make the essay great and what make the essay her story.
The Right's Rape Trolls vs. Lena Dunham|Emily Shire|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The book really came to be because that essay finally came to be.
Meghan Daum On Tackling The Unspeakable Parts Of Life|David Yaffe|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He then acknowledged that the notion of "a methodical regularity" in the Essay on Criticism was a "groundless opinion."
The Works of Alexander Pope, Volume 2 (of 10)|Alexander Pope
The Royal Academy of Berlin, offered in 1818, a prize of 3300 francs, for an essay on this topic.
North American Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3, July, 1826|Various
But he has some defects; in his Essay on the Human Understanding he is often too figurative for the subject.
Introduction to the Literature of Europe in the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Centuries, Vol. 2|Henry Hallam
The subject of the lunar librations was treated by Lagrange with great originality in an essay crowned by the Paris Lagrange.
a short literary composition dealing with a subject analytically or speculatively
an attempt or endeavour; effort
a test or trial
verb (ɛˈseɪ) (tr)
to attempt or endeavour; try
to test or try out
Word Origin for essay
C15: from Old French essaier to attempt, from essai an attempt, from Late Latin exagium a weighing, from Latin agere to do, compel, influenced by exigere to investigate
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A short piece of writing on one subject, usually presenting the author's own views. Michel de Montaigne, Francis Bacon (see also Bacon), and Ralph Waldo Emerson are celebrated for their essays.