essential oil

noun

: any of a class of volatile oils that give plants their characteristic odors and are used especially in perfumes and flavorings, and for aromatherapy compare fixed oil

Examples of essential oil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Some pheromone perfumes also contain essential oils to round out the scent profile. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 22 June 2026 Those compounds are naturally present in sweat or urine, and some pheromone perfumes also blend in essential oils to round out the scent. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 June 2026 Not only do its tall, purple blooms add color and movement to the garden, but they can also be harvested and used in cooking, to make essential oils, and added to bouquets. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 23 June 2026 In fact, some research has shown that rosemary oil shows similar results to minoxidil, a popular hair loss treatment, after using the essential oil for six months. — Erika Reals, InStyle, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for essential oil

Word History

First Known Use

1674, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of essential oil was in 1674

Rhymes for essential oil

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Browse Nearby Words

essentialness
essential oil
essential predication
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Cite this Entry

“Essential oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essential%20oil. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Medical Definition

essential oil

noun
: any of a large class of volatile odoriferous oils of vegetable origin that give plants their characteristic odors and often other properties, that are obtained from various parts of the plants (as flowers, leaves, or bark) by steam distillation, expression, or extraction, that are usually mixtures of compounds (as aldehydes or esters), and that are used often in the form of essences in perfumes, flavorings, and pharmaceutical preparations

called also ethereal oil, volatile oil

compare fatty oil, fixed oil

More from Merriam-Webster on essential oil

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about essential oil

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