• TheFreeDictionary
  • Word / Article
  • Starts with
  • Free toolbar & extensions
  • Word of the Day
  • Free content

es•say

  • Anaya Rudolfo Alfonso
  • Baldwin James Arthur
  • Burroughs John
  • Chesterton Gilbert Keith
  • Cobbett William
  • composition
  • Crèvecoeur Michel Guillaume Jean de
  • Cunninghame Graham
  • disquisition
  • dissertation
  • espresso maker
  • espresso shop
  • esprit de corps
  • esprit de l'escalier
  • Espy James Pollard
  • essay question
  • Essence of spruce
  • Essence of verbena
  • essential amino acid
  • essential care
  • essential cargo
  • Essential character
  • essential chemicals
  • essential communications traffic
  • essential condition
  • Essential disease
  • essential element
  • essential elements of friendly information
  • Essais Périodiques
  • Essanay Film Manufacturing Company
  • Essar Power Gujarat Ltd.
  • Essar Shipping and Logistics Ltd.
  • Essarts Club Archerie
  • Essay and Short Answer Question
  • Essay Concerning Human Understanding
  • Essay editing
  • Essay on Criticism
  • Essay on Lucidity
  • Essay Verification Engine
  • Essay Writing Contest
  • Essay Writing for the College Bound
  • Essays in International Finance
  • Essays on Philosophical Method
  • Essbase Integration Services
  • Facebook Share
  • Daily Crossword
  • Word Puzzle
  • Word Finder
  • Word of the Day
  • Synonym of the Day
  • Word of the Year
  • Language stories
  • All featured
  • Gender and sexuality
  • All pop culture
  • Grammar Coach ™
  • Writing hub
  • Grammar essentials
  • Commonly confused
  • All writing tips
  • Pop culture
  • Writing tips

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.

to try; attempt.

to put to the test; make trial of.

Origin of essay

Other words from essay.

  • es·say·er, noun
  • pre·es·say, verb (used without object)
  • un·es·sayed, adjective
  • well-es·sayed, adjective

Words that may be confused with essay

  • assay , essay

Words Nearby essay

  • essay question

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use essay in a sentence

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.

GPT-3 also raises concerns about the future of essay writing in the education system.

This little essay helps focus on self-knowledge in what you’re best at, and how you should prioritize your time.

As Steven Feldstein argues in the opening essay , technonationalism plays a part in the strengthening of other autocracies too.

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.

I think a certain kind of compelling essay has a piece of that.

The current attack on the Jews,” he wrote in a 1937 essay , “targets not just this people of 15 million but mankind as such.

The impulse to interpret seems to me what makes personal essay writing compelling.

To be honest, I think a lot of good essay writing comes out of that.

Someone recently sent me an old Joan Didion essay on self-respect that appeared in Vogue.

There is more of the uplifted forefinger and the reiterated point than I should have allowed myself in an essay .

Consequently he was able to turn in a clear essay upon the subject, which, upon examination, the king found to be free from error.

It is no part of the present essay to attempt to detail the particulars of a code of social legislation.

But angels and ministers of grace defend us from ministers of religion who essay art criticism!

It is fit that the imagination, which is free to go through all things, should essay such excursions.

British Dictionary definitions for essay

a short literary composition dealing with a subject analytically or speculatively

an attempt or endeavour; effort

a test or trial

to attempt or endeavour; try

to test or try out

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for essay

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.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

  • ABBREVIATIONS
  • BIOGRAPHIES
  • CALCULATORS
  • CONVERSIONS
  • DEFINITIONS

Definitions.net

  Vocabulary      

What does essayed mean?

Definitions for essayed es·sayed, this dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word essayed ., did you actually mean essayist or estate , chatgpt rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes.

Essayed is the past tense form of the verb "essay," which means to attempt, try, or undertake a task or activity, typically requiring some thought, effort, or skill. It refers to the act of writing or composing an essay, which is a short piece of non-fictional writing that presents a focused argument or analysis on a particular topic.

Webster Dictionary Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

How to pronounce essayed.

Alex US English David US English Mark US English Daniel British Libby British Mia British Karen Australian Hayley Australian Natasha Australian Veena Indian Priya Indian Neerja Indian Zira US English Oliver British Wendy British Fred US English Tessa South African

How to say essayed in sign language?

Chaldean Numerology

The numerical value of essayed in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

Pythagorean Numerology

The numerical value of essayed in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Popularity rank by frequency of use

  • ^  ChatGPT https://chat.openai.com
  • ^  Webster Dictionary https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essayed

Translations for essayed

From our multilingual translation dictionary.

  • essayed German
  • ensayado Spanish
  • megkísérelte Hungarian
  • essayed Italian
  • エッセイ Japanese
  • పోషించారు Telugu

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a free new word definition delivered to your inbox daily.

Please enter your email address:

Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:.

Style: MLA Chicago APA

"essayed." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 17 Apr. 2024. < https://www.definitions.net/definition/essayed >.

Cite.Me

Discuss these essayed definitions with the community:

 width=

Report Comment

We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe. If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.

You need to be logged in to favorite .

Create a new account.

Your name: * Required

Your email address: * Required

Pick a user name: * Required

Username: * Required

Password: * Required

Forgot your password?    Retrieve it

Are we missing a good definition for essayed ? Don't keep it to yourself...

Image credit, the web's largest resource for, definitions & translations, a member of the stands4 network, free, no signup required :, add to chrome, add to firefox, browse definitions.net, are you a words master, be hungry; go without food, Nearby & related entries:.

  • essar group
  • essay writing
  • essayer noun
  • essayist noun

Alternative searches for essayed :

  • Search for essayed on Amazon

meaning of essayed by

  • 1.1.1 Pronunciation
  • 1.1.2.1 Derived terms
  • 1.1.2.2 Related terms
  • 1.1.2.3 Translations
  • 1.2.1 Pronunciation
  • 1.2.2.1 Translations
  • 1.3 Anagrams
  • 2.1 Etymology
  • 2.2 Pronunciation
  • 2.3.1 Hypernyms
  • 2.3.2 Derived terms
  • 2.3.3 Descendants
  • 3.1 Etymology
  • 3.2.1 Derived terms
  • 3.3 References
  • 4.1 Etymology
  • 4.2.1 Derived terms
  • 4.3 References

English [ edit ]

Etymology 1 [ edit ].

Since late 16th century, borrowed from Middle French essay , essai ( “ essay ” ) , meaning coined by Montaigne in the same time, from the same words in earlier meanings 'experiment; assay; attempt', from Old French essay , essai , assay , assai , from Latin exagium ( “ weight; weighing, testing on the balance ” ) , from exigere + -ium .

Pronunciation [ edit ]

  • ( Received Pronunciation , General American ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈɛs.eɪ/ (1), IPA ( key ) : /ɛˈseɪ/ (2-4)
  • Rhymes: -ɛseɪ
  • Homophone : ese

Noun [ edit ]

essay ( plural essays )

  • 2013 January, Katie L. Burke, “Ecological Dependency”, in American Scientist ‎ [1] , volume 101 , number 1, archived from the original on 9 February 2017 , page 64 : In his first book since the 2008 essay collection Natural Acts: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature , David Quammen looks at the natural world from yet another angle: the search for the next human pandemic, what epidemiologists call “the next big one.”
  • ( obsolete ) A test , experiment ; an assay .
  • 1861 , E. J. Guerin, Mountain Charley , page 16 : My first essay at getting employment was fruitless; but after no small number of mortifying rebuffs from various parties to whom I applied for assistance, I was at last rewarded by a comparative success.
  • 1988 , James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom , Oxford, published 2003 , page 455 : This was Lee's first essay in the kind of offensive-defensive strategy that was to become his hallmark.
  • ( philately , finance ) A proposed design for a postage stamp or a banknote .

Derived terms [ edit ]

  • argumentative essay
  • automated essay scoring
  • eight-legged essay
  • essay question
  • photo-essay
  • photo essay

Related terms [ edit ]

Translations [ edit ], etymology 2 [ edit ].

From Middle French essayer , essaier , from Old French essaiier , essayer , essaier , assaiier , assayer , assaier , from essay , essai , assay , assai ( “ attempt; assay; experiment ” ) as above.

  • ( UK , US ) IPA ( key ) : /ɛˈseɪ/

Verb [ edit ]

essay ( third-person singular simple present essays , present participle essaying , simple past and past participle essayed )

  • 1900 , Charles W. Chesnutt , chapter II, in The House Behind the Cedars : He retraced his steps to the front gate, which he essayed to open.
  • 1950 April, R. A. H. Weight, “They Passed by My Window”, in Railway Magazine , page 260 : The train took the slow to branch spur at the north end at a not much slower speed, then essayed the short sharply curved climb with a terrific roar, smoke rising straight from the chimney to a height of some 60 ft., the long train twisting and curling behind.
  • ( intransitive ) To move forth, as into battle.

Anagrams [ edit ]

  • Sayes , Seays , Sesay , eyass

Dutch [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ].

Borrowed from English essay ( “ essay ” ) , from Middle French essai ( “ essay; attempt, assay ” ) , from Old French essai , from Latin exagium (whence the neuter gender).

  • IPA ( key ) : /ɛˈseː/ , /ˈɛ.seː/
  • Hyphenation: es‧say
  • Rhymes: -eː

essay   n ( plural essays , diminutive essaytje   n )

Hypernyms [ edit ]

Descendants [ edit ], norwegian bokmål [ edit ].

Borrowed from English essay , from Middle French essai .

essay   n ( definite singular essayet , indefinite plural essay or essayer , definite plural essaya or essayene )

  • an essay , a written composition of moderate length exploring a particular subject
  • essaysamling

References [ edit ]

  • “essay” in The Bokmål Dictionary .

Norwegian Nynorsk [ edit ]

essay   n ( definite singular essayet , indefinite plural essay , definite plural essaya )

  • “essay” in The Nynorsk Dictionary .

meaning of essayed by

  • English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
  • English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂eǵ-
  • English terms borrowed from Middle French
  • English terms derived from Middle French
  • English terms derived from Old French
  • English terms derived from Latin
  • English 2-syllable words
  • English terms with IPA pronunciation
  • English terms with audio links
  • Rhymes:English/ɛseɪ
  • Rhymes:English/ɛseɪ/2 syllables
  • English terms with homophones
  • English lemmas
  • English nouns
  • English countable nouns
  • English terms with quotations
  • English terms with obsolete senses
  • English terms with rare senses
  • en:Philately
  • English verbs
  • English dated terms
  • English transitive verbs
  • English intransitive verbs
  • English heteronyms
  • en:Literature
  • Dutch terms borrowed from English
  • Dutch terms derived from English
  • Dutch terms derived from Middle French
  • Dutch terms derived from Old French
  • Dutch terms derived from Latin
  • Dutch terms with IPA pronunciation
  • Rhymes:Dutch/eː
  • Dutch lemmas
  • Dutch nouns
  • Dutch nouns with plural in -s
  • Dutch neuter nouns
  • Norwegian Bokmål terms borrowed from English
  • Norwegian Bokmål terms derived from English
  • Norwegian Bokmål terms derived from Middle French
  • Norwegian Bokmål lemmas
  • Norwegian Bokmål nouns
  • Norwegian Bokmål neuter nouns
  • Norwegian Nynorsk terms borrowed from English
  • Norwegian Nynorsk terms derived from English
  • Norwegian Nynorsk terms derived from Middle French
  • Norwegian Nynorsk lemmas
  • Norwegian Nynorsk nouns
  • Norwegian Nynorsk neuter nouns
  • English entries with topic categories using raw markup
  • English entries with language name categories using raw markup
  • Quotation templates to be cleaned
  • Cantonese terms with redundant transliterations
  • Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations
  • Russian terms with non-redundant manual transliterations
  • Urdu terms with non-redundant manual transliterations
  • Urdu terms with redundant transliterations

Navigation menu

  • Dictionaries home
  • American English
  • Collocations
  • German-English
  • Grammar home
  • Practical English Usage
  • Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
  • Word Lists home
  • My Word Lists
  • Recent additions
  • Resources home
  • Text Checker

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

Want to learn more?

Find out which words work together and produce more natural-sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

meaning of essayed by

Remember the difference and get an 'A' for effort.

You might also know that essay can be a verb, with its most common meaning being "to try, attempt, or undertake":

A very close approach to the evil of Idi Amin is essayed in Giles Foden's 1998 novel The Last King of Scotland , whose narrator is the Scottish personal physician to the dictator. — Norman Rush, The New York Review of Books , 7 Oct. 2004 The principal accidents she remembers, before last summer's, involved chipping a couple of teeth while, as a fifth grader, she was essaying a back flip off a diving board,... — E. J. Kahn, Jr., The New Yorker , 17 Aug. 1987

The verb assay , meanwhile, is used to mean "to test or evaluate" and can be applied to anything from laboratory samples to contest entries:

He bounced from job to job, working on a shrimp boat and later for Pan American Laboratories assaying chemicals coming in from Mexico. — Steve Clark, The Brownville Herald , 21 Apr. 2017 "Each burger will be assayed by visitors and a panel of judges, including local chefs Jen Knox, Gina Sansonia, Judith Able, Bret Hauser, Camilo Cuartas and Peter Farrand." — Phillip Valys, SouthFlorida.com , 19 May 2017

While this distinction might seem clear-cut on the surface, there exists a great deal of historical overlap between essay and assay . The two words derive from the same root—the Middle French essai , which ultimately derives from a Late Latin noun, exagium , meaning "act of weighing."

At one time, assay and essay were synonyms, sharing the meaning "try" or "attempt." In the 17th century, an essay was an effort to test or prove something:

Edmond: I hope, for my brother's justification, he wrote this but as an essay or taste of my virtue. — William Shakespeare, King Lear , 1606

For the modern noun use of essay to mean "a written exploration of a topic," we can almost certainly thank Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), a French writer noted for working in the form. Borrowing a word that emphasized their identity as literary "attempts," Montaigne devised Essais as a title for the vignette-typed pieces that he began publishing in 1580 and spanned over a thousand pages, covering subjects as varied and wide-ranging as solitude, cannibalism, and drunkenness.

Those last ones probably won't be in the final exam.

Word of the Day

Circumlocution.

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Games & Quizzes

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries.  Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Commonly Confused

'canceled' or 'cancelled', 'virus' vs. 'bacteria', your vs. you're: how to use them correctly, is it 'jail' or 'prison', 'deduction' vs. 'induction' vs. 'abduction', grammar & usage, a list of most commonly confused words, more commonly misspelled words, 10 words you see but don't hear, every letter is silent, sometimes: a-z list of examples, more commonly mispronounced words, 9 other words for beautiful, rare and amusing insults, volume 2, etymologies for every day of the week, a great big list of bread words, the words of the week - apr. 12.

Cambridge Dictionary

  • Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of essay – Learner’s Dictionary

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

  • Have you handed your history essay in yet ?
  • There's a few spelling mistakes in your essay.
  • I got an A minus for my last essay.
  • I read over my essay to check for mistakes .
  • I had to rewrite my essay.

(Definition of essay from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of essay

Get a quick, free translation!

{{randomImageQuizHook.quizId}}

Word of the Day

balancing act

a difficult situation in which someone has to try to give equal amounts of importance, time, attention, etc. to two or more different things at the same time

Alike and analogous (Talking about similarities, Part 1)

Alike and analogous (Talking about similarities, Part 1)

meaning of essayed by

Learn more with +Plus

  • Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
  • Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
  • Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
  • Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
  • English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
  • English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
  • English–Dutch Dutch–English
  • English–French French–English
  • English–German German–English
  • English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
  • English–Italian Italian–English
  • English–Japanese Japanese–English
  • English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
  • English–Polish Polish–English
  • English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
  • English–Spanish Spanish–English
  • English–Swedish Swedish–English
  • Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
  • Learner’s Dictionary    Noun
  • Translations
  • All translations

Add essay to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

  • Daily Crossword
  • Word Puzzle
  • Word Finder
  • Word of the Day

Synonym of the Day

  • Word of the Year
  • Language stories
  • All featured
  • Gender and sexuality
  • All pop culture
  • Grammar Coach ™
  • Writing hub
  • Grammar essentials
  • Commonly confused
  • All writing tips
  • Pop culture
  • Writing tips

Advertisement

verb as in try, attempt

Strong matches

Weak matches

  • have a crack
  • have a shot
  • make a run at
  • put to the test
  • take a stab at
  • take a whack at

Discover More

Example sentences.

But nothing they essayed could fully drown out the keening of their lust to return to high office.

Lily Pendleton was known to have once essayed an erotic novel, and had read a few chapters to some of her closer friends.

Every time the Confederates essayed to charge they were met with such a storm of shot and shell that they went reeling back.

The bishop emitted lamentable cries and essayed to resist the men who were dragging him into the donjon.

She essayed to sew, and stitched up a seam wrong side out, and ran the point of the needle under her finger nail.

The rock here being of various degrees of density, the waters had essayed a thousand channels.

Start each day with the Synonym of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

On this page you'll find 32 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to essayed, such as: assay, undertake, offer, work, labor, and aim.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

What is an Essay?

10 May, 2020

11 minutes read

Author:  Tomas White

Well, beyond a jumble of words usually around 2,000 words or so - what is an essay, exactly? Whether you’re taking English, sociology, history, biology, art, or a speech class, it’s likely you’ll have to write an essay or two. So how is an essay different than a research paper or a review? Let’s find out!

What is an essay

Defining the Term – What is an Essay?

The essay is a written piece that is designed to present an idea, propose an argument, express the emotion or initiate debate. It is a tool that is used to present writer’s ideas in a non-fictional way. Multiple applications of this type of writing go way beyond, providing political manifestos and art criticism as well as personal observations and reflections of the author.

what is an essay

An essay can be as short as 500 words, it can also be 5000 words or more.  However, most essays fall somewhere around 1000 to 3000 words ; this word range provides the writer enough space to thoroughly develop an argument and work to convince the reader of the author’s perspective regarding a particular issue.  The topics of essays are boundless: they can range from the best form of government to the benefits of eating peppermint leaves daily. As a professional provider of custom writing, our service has helped thousands of customers to turn in essays in various forms and disciplines.

Origins of the Essay

Over the course of more than six centuries essays were used to question assumptions, argue trivial opinions and to initiate global discussions. Let’s have a closer look into historical progress and various applications of this literary phenomenon to find out exactly what it is.

Today’s modern word “essay” can trace its roots back to the French “essayer” which translates closely to mean “to attempt” .  This is an apt name for this writing form because the essay’s ultimate purpose is to attempt to convince the audience of something.  An essay’s topic can range broadly and include everything from the best of Shakespeare’s plays to the joys of April.

The essay comes in many shapes and sizes; it can focus on a personal experience or a purely academic exploration of a topic.  Essays are classified as a subjective writing form because while they include expository elements, they can rely on personal narratives to support the writer’s viewpoint.  The essay genre includes a diverse array of academic writings ranging from literary criticism to meditations on the natural world.  Most typically, the essay exists as a shorter writing form; essays are rarely the length of a novel.  However, several historic examples, such as John Locke’s seminal work “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding” just shows that a well-organized essay can be as long as a novel.

The Essay in Literature

The essay enjoys a long and renowned history in literature.  They first began gaining in popularity in the early 16 th century, and their popularity has continued today both with original writers and ghost writers.  Many readers prefer this short form in which the writer seems to speak directly to the reader, presenting a particular claim and working to defend it through a variety of means.  Not sure if you’ve ever read a great essay? You wouldn’t believe how many pieces of literature are actually nothing less than essays, or evolved into more complex structures from the essay. Check out this list of literary favorites:

  • The Book of My Lives by Aleksandar Hemon
  • Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
  • Against Interpretation by Susan Sontag
  • High-Tide in Tucson: Essays from Now and Never by Barbara Kingsolver
  • Slouching Toward Bethlehem by Joan Didion
  • Naked by David Sedaris
  • Walden; or, Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau

Pretty much as long as writers have had something to say, they’ve created essays to communicate their viewpoint on pretty much any topic you can think of!

Top essays in literature

The Essay in Academics

Not only are students required to read a variety of essays during their academic education, but they will likely be required to write several different kinds of essays throughout their scholastic career.  Don’t love to write?  Then consider working with a ghost essay writer !  While all essays require an introduction, body paragraphs in support of the argumentative thesis statement, and a conclusion, academic essays can take several different formats in the way they approach a topic.  Common essays required in high school, college, and post-graduate classes include:

Five paragraph essay

This is the most common type of a formal essay. The type of paper that students are usually exposed to when they first hear about the concept of the essay itself. It follows easy outline structure – an opening introduction paragraph; three body paragraphs to expand the thesis; and conclusion to sum it up.

Argumentative essay

These essays are commonly assigned to explore a controversial issue.  The goal is to identify the major positions on either side and work to support the side the writer agrees with while refuting the opposing side’s potential arguments.

Compare and Contrast essay

This essay compares two items, such as two poems, and works to identify similarities and differences, discussing the strength and weaknesses of each.  This essay can focus on more than just two items, however.  The point of this essay is to reveal new connections the reader may not have considered previously.

Definition essay

This essay has a sole purpose – defining a term or a concept in as much detail as possible. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, not quite. The most important part of the process is picking up the word. Before zooming it up under the microscope, make sure to choose something roomy so you can define it under multiple angles. The definition essay outline will reflect those angles and scopes.

Descriptive essay

Perhaps the most fun to write, this essay focuses on describing its subject using all five of the senses.  The writer aims to fully describe the topic; for example, a descriptive essay could aim to describe the ocean to someone who’s never seen it or the job of a teacher.  Descriptive essays rely heavily on detail and the paragraphs can be organized by sense.

Illustration essay

The purpose of this essay is to describe an idea, occasion or a concept with the help of clear and vocal examples. “Illustration” itself is handled in the body paragraphs section. Each of the statements, presented in the essay needs to be supported with several examples. Illustration essay helps the author to connect with his audience by breaking the barriers with real-life examples – clear and indisputable.

Informative Essay

Being one the basic essay types, the informative essay is as easy as it sounds from a technical standpoint. High school is where students usually encounter with informative essay first time. The purpose of this paper is to describe an idea, concept or any other abstract subject with the help of proper research and a generous amount of storytelling.

Narrative essay

This type of essay focuses on describing a certain event or experience, most often chronologically.  It could be a historic event or an ordinary day or month in a regular person’s life. Narrative essay proclaims a free approach to writing it, therefore it does not always require conventional attributes, like the outline. The narrative itself typically unfolds through a personal lens, and is thus considered to be a subjective form of writing.

Persuasive essay

The purpose of the persuasive essay is to provide the audience with a 360-view on the concept idea or certain topic – to persuade the reader to adopt a certain viewpoint. The viewpoints can range widely from why visiting the dentist is important to why dogs make the best pets to why blue is the best color.  Strong, persuasive language is a defining characteristic of this essay type.

Types of essays

The Essay in Art

Several other artistic mediums have adopted the essay as a means of communicating with their audience.  In the visual arts, such as painting or sculpting, the rough sketches of the final product are sometimes deemed essays.  Likewise, directors may opt to create a film essay which is similar to a documentary in that it offers a personal reflection on a relevant issue.  Finally, photographers often create photographic essays in which they use a series of photographs to tell a story, similar to a narrative or a descriptive essay.

Drawing the line – question answered

“What is an Essay?” is quite a polarizing question. On one hand, it can easily be answered in a couple of words. On the other, it is surely the most profound and self-established type of content there ever was. Going back through the history of the last five-six centuries helps us understand where did it come from and how it is being applied ever since.

If you must write an essay, follow these five important steps to works towards earning the “A” you want:

  • Understand and review the kind of essay you must write
  • Brainstorm your argument
  • Find research from reliable sources to support your perspective
  • Cite all sources parenthetically within the paper and on the Works Cited page
  • Follow all grammatical rules

Generally speaking, when you must write any type of essay, start sooner rather than later!  Don’t procrastinate – give yourself time to develop your perspective and work on crafting a unique and original approach to the topic.  Remember: it’s always a good idea to have another set of eyes (or three) look over your essay before handing in the final draft to your teacher or professor.  Don’t trust your fellow classmates?  Consider hiring an editor or a ghostwriter to help out!

If you are still unsure on whether you can cope with your task – you are in the right place to get help. HandMadeWriting is the perfect answer to the question “Who can write my essay?”

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

Go to the homepage

Definition of 'essay'

IPA Pronunciation Guide

Video: pronunciation of essay

Youtube video

essay in American English

Essay in british english, examples of 'essay' in a sentence essay, related word partners essay, trends of essay.

View usage over: Since Exist Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years

Browse alphabetically essay

  • essay competition
  • essay contest
  • essay discusses
  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'E'

Related terms of essay

  • essay topic
  • photo essay
  • short essay
  • View more related words

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Score: 0 / 5

Image

Wordle Helper

Tile

Scrabble Tools

IMAGES

  1. What Is an Essay? Different Types of Essays with Examples • 7ESL

    meaning of essayed by

  2. What is an Essay? Definition, Types and Writing Tips by HandMadeWriting

    meaning of essayed by

  3. Guide to Writing a Definition Essay at Trust My Paper

    meaning of essayed by

  4. How to Write a Definition Essay: Writing Guide with Sample Essays

    meaning of essayed by

  5. What Is an Essay? Different Types of Essays with Examples • 7ESL

    meaning of essayed by

  6. How to Write a Definition Essay: Writing Guide with Sample Essays

    meaning of essayed by

VIDEO

  1. Stylish Names with meaning || part-111 voice by islamic knowledge #shortvideo #viral

  2. IELTS ESSAYS: How to Identify The Essay Type and Generate Ideas By Asad Yaqub

  3. दादी-नानी वाली अंग्रेजी शब्द, Spoken English Vocabulary, Kanchan Keshari English Connection #shorts

  4. Essay Writing

  5. Deep meaning pictures|| one picture Millon words ||sad Reality #shorts #short#viral

  6. If You Know The Meanings Of 50% Of These Words, You're A Genius!

COMMENTS

  1. Essayed Definition & Meaning

    The meaning of ESSAY is an analytic or interpretative literary composition usually dealing with its subject from a limited or personal point of view. How to use essay in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Essay.

  2. ESSAYED

    ESSAYED definition: 1. past simple and past participle of essay 2. to try to do something: . Learn more.

  3. How To Use "Essayed" In A Sentence: Usage and Examples

    Definition Of Essayed. When it comes to the English language, words have the power to shape our thoughts and convey complex ideas. One such word that holds a unique place in the realm of expression is "essayed." Derived from the Old French word "essayer," meaning "to try" or "to attempt," essayed has a multifaceted definition ...

  4. ESSAYED

    ESSAYED meaning: 1. past simple and past participle of essay 2. to try to do something: . Learn more.

  5. Essayed

    Define essayed. essayed synonyms, essayed pronunciation, essayed translation, English dictionary definition of essayed. try; subject to a test; a short literary composition: She wrote an essay for her final exam.

  6. Essayed Definition & Meaning

    Essayed definition: Simple past tense and past participle of essay. .

  7. ESSAY

    ESSAY meaning: 1. a short piece of writing on a particular subject, especially one done by students as part of the…. Learn more.

  8. ESSAY Definition & Meaning

    Essay definition: a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative. See examples of ESSAY used in a sentence.

  9. Essay Definition & Meaning

    Britannica Dictionary definition of ESSAY. [+ object] formal. : to try to do, perform, or deal with (something) He at first essayed [= tried, attempted] a career as a writer. There is no hint as to which of the approaches essayed in this book will prove most useful. — sometimes followed by to + verb. He essayed [= tried, attempted] to restore ...

  10. ESSAY definition and meaning

    essay in British English. noun (ˈɛseɪ , for senses 2, 3 also ɛˈseɪ ) 1. a short literary composition dealing with a subject analytically or speculatively. 2. an attempt or endeavour; effort. 3. a test or trial.

  11. ESSAYED Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

    Synonyms for ESSAYED: tried, attempted, sought, endeavored, assayed, strived, strove, wrought; Antonyms of ESSAYED: dropped, quit, gave up, quitted

  12. What does essayed mean?

    Definition of essayed in the Definitions.net dictionary. Meaning of essayed. Information and translations of essayed in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web.

  13. essay

    essay (third-person singular simple present essays, present participle essaying, simple past and past participle essayed) ( dated, transitive) To attempt or try . 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, chapter II, in The House Behind the Cedars: He retraced his steps to the front gate, which he essayed to open.

  14. essay noun

    a short piece of writing by a student as part of a course of study. 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.

  15. ESSAY

    ESSAY definition: 1. a short piece of writing on a particular subject, especially one done by students as part of the…. Learn more.

  16. essay verb

    Definition of essay verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

  17. Essay

    A composition that is usually short and has a literary theme is called an essay. You should probably start writing your essay on "To Kill a Mockingbird" sometime before the bus ride to school the day it is due.

  18. To 'Essay' or To 'Assay'?

    You might also know that essay can be a verb, with its most common meaning being "to try, attempt, or undertake":. A very close approach to the evil of Idi Amin is essayed in Giles Foden's 1998 novel The Last King of Scotland, whose narrator is the Scottish personal physician to the dictator. — Norman Rush, The New York Review of Books, 7 Oct. 2004 The principal accidents she remembers ...

  19. Essay

    essay, an analytic, interpretative, or critical literary composition usually much shorter and less systematic and formal than a dissertation or thesis and usually dealing with its subject from a limited and often personal point of view. Some early treatises—such as those of Cicero on the pleasantness of old age or on the art of "divination ...

  20. ESSAY

    ESSAY definition: a short piece of writing about a particular subject, especially one written by a student: . Learn more.

  21. 32 Synonyms & Antonyms for ESSAYED

    Find 32 different ways to say ESSAYED, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

  22. What is an Essay? Definition, Types and Writing Tips by HandMadeWriting

    The essay is a written piece that is designed to present an idea, propose an argument, express the emotion or initiate debate. It is a tool that is used to present writer's ideas in a non-fictional way. Multiple applications of this type of writing go way beyond, providing political manifestos and art criticism as well as personal ...

  23. ESSAY definition in American English

    noun. 1. a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative. 2. anything resembling such a composition. a picture essay. 3. an effort to perform or accomplish something; attempt. 4.