es ‧ sence /ˈes ə ns/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ essence , essentials ≠ ↑ inessentials ; adverb : ↑ essentially ; adjective : ↑ essential ≠ ↑ inessential ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: French ; Origin: Latin essentia , from esse 'to be' ]
1 . [singular] the most basic and important quality of something
essence of
The essence of Arsenal’s style of football was speed.
She seems the very essence of kindness (=she seems very kind) .
2 . in essence used when talking about the most basic and important part of something, especially an idea, belief, or argument:
In essence his message was very simple.
3 . [uncountable and countable] a liquid obtained from a plant, flower etc that has a very strong smell or taste and is used especially in cooking:
vanilla essence
4 . something is of the essence used to say that something is very important:
Good communications are of the essence to remain competitive.
time/speed is of the essence (=it is very important to do something quickly)