essay

noun

(publishing) A written composition of moderate length, exploring a particular issue or subject.

(philately, finance) A proposed design for a postage stamp or a banknote.

(now rare) An attempt.

(obsolete) A test, experiment; an assay.

verb

(intransitive) To move forth, as into battle.

(dated, transitive) To attempt or try.

Roots

exagiumessay- · Latin · weighing, trial

Synonyms for essay

dissertationn disquisitionn thesisn articlen poemn testn treatisen writingn assayn memoirn

Synonyms & related words for essay

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of essay — including dissertation, disquisition, thesis, article, poem, test. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to essay

Explore words related to essay — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include thanatopsis, dissertational, essayistic, disquisitional, dissert, essayist, monostich, dissertate. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for essay

Common synonyms for essay include dissertation, disquisition, thesis, article, poem, test, treatise, writing — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does essay come from?

The word essay breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root essay-, from Latin exagium (“weighing, trial”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.