essays

Word family

• essayist
  nounC1
• essayistic
  adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Essay, paper, composition, article, and piece all refer to a written work, but with important differences in context. Essay is the most common term in academic settings for a short, structured argument on a topic. Paper is common in US higher education and can range from a few pages to a full research document. Composition is used more in school settings and language classes, often for shorter, less argument-driven writing. Article refers to writing published in newspapers, magazines, or journals — not typically coursework. Piece is the most general, covering any short work of writing, including creative or journalistic work. For example, a student writes an essay on Shakespeare for English class, submits a research paper for a science course, and reads an article from a news website to prepare.

Common collocations

Etymology

Essay entered English from French essai, meaning 'trial' or 'attempt'. The French word came from Latin exagium, meaning 'a weighing' or 'a balancing'. The link between 'weighing' and 'writing' goes back to the French writer Michel de Montaigne, who in the 1500s called his short personal writings 'essais' — tries or attempts at exploring a topic. The modern academic meaning grew from this idea of writing as a way of testing ideas.