Essay Definition

ĕsā, ĕ-sā
essayed, essaying, essays
noun
essays
A trying or testing.
Webster's New World
Something resembling such a composition.
A photojournalistic essay.
American Heritage
A short literary composition of an analytical, interpretive, or reflective kind, dealing with its subject in a nontechnical, limited, often unsystematic way and, usually, expressive of the author's outlook and personality.
Webster's New World
A testing or trial of the value or nature of a thing.
An essay of the students' capabilities.
American Heritage
An attempt; trial.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
verb
essayed, essaying, essays
To try; attempt.
Webster's New World
To test the nature or quality of; try out.
Webster's New World

(dated) To try.

Wiktionary

(intransitive) To move forth, as into battle.

Wiktionary
Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Essay

Noun

Singular:
essay
Plural:
essays

Origin of Essay

  • French essai trial, attempt from Old French from essayer to attempt from Vulgar Latin exagiāre to weigh out from Late Latin exagium a weighing Latin ex- ex- Latin agere to drive ag- in Indo-European roots V., from Middle English assaien from Old French assaer, assaier variant of essayer

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Middle French essai.

    From Wiktionary

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