noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˈɛ.seɪ.ɪst/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:EH1 S EY2 IH0 S T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
One who composes essays; a writer of short compositions.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
She was an essayist whose frequent contributions to the editorial pages of major newspapers had a loyal following.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
a writer of literary works
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: litterateur
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: writer, author
Narrower terms: Lamb, Charles Lamb, Elia
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English essay Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor. Latin -istader. Old French -istebor. Middle English -ist English -ist English essayist From essay + -ist.
Across languages
Translations
36 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
assagista
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Chinese Cantonese:
散文家
(saan2 man4 gaa1)
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Chinese Mandarin:
散文家
(sǎnwénjiā)
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Czech:
esejista
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Dutch:
essayist
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Esperanto:
eseisto
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Finnish:
esseisti
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
French:
essayiste
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Galician:
ensaísta
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
German:
Essayist
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
German:
Essayistin
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Greek:
δοκιμιογράφος
(dokimiográfos)
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Icelandic:
ritgerðari
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Irish:
aistí
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Irish:
scríbhneoir aistí
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Italian:
saggista
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Japanese:
エッセイスト
(esseisuto)
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Persian:
مقالهنویس
(maqâle-nevis)
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Polish:
eseista
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Polish:
eseistka
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Portuguese:
ensaísta
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Romanian:
eseist
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Romanian:
eseistă
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Russian:
очерки́ст
(očerkíst)
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Russian:
очерки́стка
(očerkístka)
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Russian:
эссеи́ст
(essɛíst)
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Russian:
эссеи́стка
(essɛístka)
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Scottish Gaelic:
aistear
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Spanish:
ensayista
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Swedish:
essäist
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Swedish:
essäförfattare
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Turkish:
denemeci
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Turkish:
deneme yazarı
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Ukrainian:
есеї́ст
(esejíst)
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Ukrainian:
есеї́стка
(esejístka)
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
Welsh:
traethodwr
— one who composes essays; a writer of short compositions
