An essay is a piece of writing that presents the author's own ideas or arguments. However, the exact definition of an essay is not clearly defined and can overlap with other types of writing, such as letters, articles, pamphlets, and short stories. Essays are often divided into two types: formal and informal. Formal essays are serious in purpose, well-organized, and longer in length. Informal essays include personal details, humor, and a more relaxed structure, often discussing unique or unusual topics.

Essays are used for many purposes, such as literary criticism, political statements, arguments, descriptions of daily life, and personal reflections. Most modern essays are written in prose, but some are written in verse, like Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism and An Essay on Man. While essays are usually short, some long works, such as John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Thomas Malthus's An Essay on the Principle of Population, are also called essays.

In countries like the United States and Canada, essays are an important part of education. Students learn to write structured essays to improve their writing skills. Universities often use admission essays to choose students, and in subjects like history, literature, and social studies, essays are used to evaluate students during final exams.

The idea of an essay has also been used in other forms of media. A film essay is a movie that uses styles similar to documentaries to explore a theme or idea. A photographic essay uses a series of connected photographs, sometimes with text or captions, to cover a topic.

Definitions

The word "essay" comes from the French word essayer, which means "to try" or "to attempt." In English, the word "essay" originally meant "a trial" or "an attempt," and this meaning is still used today. The French writer Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592) was the first person to call his writings "essays." He used the term to describe his work as "attempts" to write down his thoughts.

Over time, the meaning of "essay" has changed. One definition is a "written piece with a clear topic" or a "long, organized discussion." It is hard to clearly describe the type of writing essays belong to. Aldous Huxley, a well-known essayist, explained that essays are a way to write about almost any topic. He said essays are usually short and that they can be studied best by looking at three different areas or perspectives. These three areas are:

Huxley also said that the most satisfying essays use all three areas to create a complete and meaningful piece of writing.

History

Michel de Montaigne's essays began as a result of his habit of collecting ideas, which he called "commonplacing." Inspired by the works of Plutarch, especially a French translation of his Moral Works by Jacques Amyot, Montaigne started writing his essays in 1572. The first edition of his essays, titled Essais, was published in two volumes in 1580. For the rest of his life, Montaigne revised his essays and wrote new ones. A third volume was published after his death, and together, the more than 100 essays in these volumes are widely considered the early model of the modern essay.

Montaigne's ideas were admired in France, but few of his immediate followers wrote essays. However, Montaigne believed his family, the Eyquem line, had English origins and referred to the English people as his "cousins." His essays were read in England early on, including by Francis Bacon.

Bacon's essays, published in book form in 1597, 1612, and 1625, were the first English works to describe themselves as essays. The word "essayist" was first used by Ben Jonson in 1609, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Other early English essayists included Sir William Cornwallis, who wrote essays in 1600 and 1617, Robert Burton, and Sir Thomas Browne. In Italy, Baldassare Castiglione wrote about courtly manners in his essay Il Cortigiano. In the 17th century, the Spanish Jesuit Baltasar Gracián wrote about the theme of wisdom.

In England, during the Age of Enlightenment, essays were often used by writers who wanted to persuade readers of their ideas. They also played a major role in the development of magazines and newspapers, as seen in the works of Joseph Addison, Richard Steele, and Samuel Johnson. Addison and Steele used the journal Tatler and its successors to share their essays, becoming the most famous essayists in England during the 18th century. Johnson's essays appeared in the 1750s in similar publications. Because of this, the word "essay" became closely linked to the word "article," even though essays and articles are not always the same. However, John Locke's work An Essay Concerning Human Understanding is not an essay in the traditional sense, but it still reflects the exploratory nature of his ideas.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, writers like Edmund Burke and Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote essays for the general public. The early 19th century saw many famous English essayists, including William Hazlitt, Charles Lamb, Leigh Hunt, and Thomas De Quincey, who wrote on a wide range of subjects and revived the earlier, graceful style of essays. Thomas Carlyle's essays were very influential, and one of his readers, Ralph Waldo Emerson, became a well-known essayist himself. Later in the century, Robert Louis Stevenson helped raise the literary quality of essays. In the 20th century, writers like T.S. Eliot used essays to explain new artistic and cultural movements. Virginia Woolf, Edmund Wilson, and Charles du Bos wrote essays about literary criticism.

In France, some writers used the word "essai" for long works that were not true essays. However, by the mid-19th century, the newspaper columns Causeries du lundi by critic Sainte-Beuve were considered true essays in the original sense. Other French writers, such as Théophile Gautier, Anatole France, Jules Lemaître, and Émile Faguet, followed this example.

In Japan, essays existed for centuries before they developed in Europe, in a style called zuihitsu, which are short, loosely connected writings. Zuihitsu have been part of Japanese literature since its early days. Many famous early Japanese works, such as The Pillow Book (around 1000) by court lady Sei Shōnagon and Tsurezuregusa (1330) by Buddhist monk Yoshida Kenkō, are examples of this style. Kenkō described his writings as "nonsensical thoughts" written during "idle hours," similar to Montaigne's approach. A key difference from Europe was that women in Japan often wrote essays, though more formal, Chinese-influenced writings by men were more highly valued at the time.

In China, the eight-legged essay (bāgǔwén) was a required style for civil service exams during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This strict format tested candidates' ability to write clearly and logically, often focusing on Confucian ideas and the Four Books and Five Classics. Test takers could not write creatively and had to follow specific rules. At times, they were also required to compose poetry on given themes. Supporters of the eight-legged essay argued that it promoted basic literacy over creativity. Historians often say that this rigid style contributed to cultural stagnation and economic challenges in China during the 19th century.

Forms and styles

This section explains the different types and styles of essays. These are used by many writers, such as students and professional essay writers.

A "cause and effect" essay shows how one event leads to another, uses clear language, and is organized in order of time or importance. A writer using this style must think about the topic, decide the purpose, consider the audience, examine causes and effects, create a main idea, arrange the parts, choose the right words, and write a conclusion.

Classification is grouping items into bigger groups, while division is splitting a bigger group into smaller parts.

Compare and contrast essays look at how things are similar or different. They can be grouped by object or by points in order. Comparing shows what is alike, and contrasting shows what is different. When writing this type, a writer must decide the purpose, think about the audience, choose a basis for comparison, create a main idea, organize the comparison, and write a conclusion. These essays are usually arranged by importance.

An expository essay explains, describes, or teaches about a topic using facts. It is usually written in third-person, using words like "he," "she," or "they." Examples include explaining a medical condition, a scientific process, or the life of a famous person. Writing this type often includes brainstorming, researching, creating a main idea, writing an introduction, developing the body, and writing a conclusion. These essays are often given to students for tests or homework.

Descriptive writing uses details that appeal to the senses and emotions. A writer must decide the purpose, consider the audience, create a strong image, use descriptive language, and organize the description. Descriptions are usually arranged by space but can also be in time order or by importance. The focus is on the scene, and tools like metaphors and similes are used to create a clear image. One guide says descriptive writing "tells what happened or what another writer said; it explains the topic." Lyric essays are a type of descriptive writing.

In a dialectic essay, used in philosophy, a writer presents an idea, then challenges it (a counterargument), and finally provides a new argument. This style helps show a bigger picture and fix possible problems. This type is sometimes called an ethics paper.

An exemplification essay uses a general idea and examples that are relevant and believable. A writer must think about the topic, decide the purpose, consider the audience, choose examples, and organize the essay.

A familiar essay is written to one person, discussing both the writer and a specific topic. Anne Fadiman says this style was popular in the early 1800s, with Charles Lamb as a key writer. She notes that critical essays focus more on thinking, personal essays on feeling, and familiar essays balance both.

A history essay, also called a thesis essay, explains an argument about past events and supports it with evidence, arguments, and references. It clearly explains why the argument is correct.

A narrative uses tools like flashbacks and transitions to build toward a climax. The focus is on the story. A writer must decide the purpose, think about the audience, choose a point of view, use dialogue, and organize the story. These essays are usually in time order.

An argumentative essay presents an objective analysis of a topic. It gives an opinion and supports it with research, logic, and structure. It includes an introduction with a topic’s importance and a main idea, body paragraphs with arguments, and a conclusion. It may also have a section that addresses opposing ideas. Each point must be supported by evidence.

A process essay explains how to do something step by step. It is often written in time order or numbered steps. It has the qualities of a technical document but is written in a descriptive style instead of a direct one.

An economic essay can start with a main idea or a theme. It can be written as a story, a description, or an argument. After the introduction, the writer must explain, analyze, and evaluate the topic. If it is a story, the writer must explain each part clearly.

A reflective essay describes a real or imagined event and adds personal thoughts about its meaning. The focus is not just on describing but on reflecting on how the event affected the writer and connecting it to their life.

The way ideas are organized in an essay can vary. Understanding how thoughts flow affects how clear and persuasive the essay is. Some structures are shown as diagrams to help writers plan their arguments.

In school and professional writing, using "I" shows the writer’s perspective. Rules about using "I" depend on the subject, audience, and purpose. Some fields prefer writers to be personal, while others prefer a more impersonal style. Scholars say using "I" helps writers show their position in a discussion.

Academic

In countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, essays are an important part of formal education, often used in open-ended questions. Students in secondary schools in these countries learn structured essay formats to improve their writing skills. Universities in these countries also use essays to help choose students (see admissions essay). At both secondary and university levels, essays are used to test how well students understand and can explain material. Students are asked to describe, comment on, or evaluate topics through essays. In some classes, university students must write one or more essays over several weeks or months. In subjects like the humanities and social sciences, mid-term and final exams often require students to write short essays in two or three hours.

In these countries, academic essays, also called papers, are usually more formal than literary essays. They may include the writer's own ideas, but these ideas must be presented in a logical and factual way. Using first-person language is often not allowed. Longer academic essays, which are usually between 2,000 and 5,000 words, are often more detailed. They may begin with a short summary of previous writing on the topic, called a literature review.

Longer essays may also include an introductory page that explains key terms related to the topic. Most schools require that all facts, quotes, and other supporting information in an essay be listed in a bibliography or works cited page at the end. This practice helps others, such as teachers or other scholars, understand the sources used to support the essay’s argument. The bibliography also helps readers determine how well the argument is supported by evidence and how strong that evidence is. The academic essay tests a student’s ability to organize thoughts clearly and assesses their intellectual skills.

A challenge for universities is that some students may submit essays they bought from an essay mill as their own work. An essay mill is a service that sells pre-written essays to students. Because plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty, universities and colleges may use plagiarism detection software to check if papers seem to come from an essay mill. This software compares essays to a database of known mill essays. Universities may also test students orally about the content of their papers to confirm their understanding.

Magazine or newspaper

Essays are commonly found in magazines. These include magazines that focus on thoughtful topics, such as The Atlantic and Harpers. Magazines and newspapers often use different types of essays. These include descriptive essays, narrative essays, and others, as explained in the section about forms and styles. Some newspapers also publish essays in their op-ed sections.

Employment

Some jobs, especially government jobs in the United States, require essays that describe experience in a specific job field. These essays, called Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA) or Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ), are needed for certain positions in the U.S. federal government.

A KSA is a set of written statements that describe a person's experience, education, and skills. These statements are used with a resume to help choose the best candidates for a job when many people qualify. Each job vacancy announcement lists the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the job well. KSAs are short essays that explain how a person's background makes them qualified for the position.

An Executive Core Qualification (ECQ) is a written statement required for jobs in the Senior Executive Service of the U.S. federal government. Like KSAs, ECQs are used with a resume to help choose the best candidates. The Office of Personnel Management has created five specific qualifications that all applicants must show to join the Senior Executive Service.

Non-literary types

A film essay, also called an essay film or cinematic essay, focuses on exploring a theme or idea rather than telling a story with a clear plot. It may also be a film that includes music accompanying a narrator reading an essay. Another way to think about it is as a documentary-style film that includes commentary, often showing the filmmaker’s personal style rather than their life story. These films mix elements of real-life footage, fictional stories, and creative filmmaking techniques using different tones and editing styles.

This type of film is not clearly defined, but it may include works by early Soviet filmmakers like Dziga Vertov. Modern filmmakers such as Chris Marker, Michael Moore (known for films like Roger & Me and Bowling for Columbine), Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line), Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me), and Agnès Varda also create essay films. Jean-Luc Godard calls his recent films "film-essays." Earlier filmmakers, like Georges Méliès and Bertolt Brecht, influenced the development of this style. Méliès made a film about the 1902 coronation of King Edward VII, mixing real footage with recreated scenes. Brecht, a playwright, used film projections in his plays. Orson Welles created an essay film called F for Fake in 1974, which explored themes of art forgery and deception.

David Winks Gray wrote that essay films became a recognized type of filmmaking in the 1950s and 1960s. He notes that these films often exist on the edges of the film industry and blend elements of documentary and fiction without clearly fitting into either. Like written essays, essay films often include a narrator’s personal voice, along with other perspectives. The University of Wisconsin Cinematheque describes essay films as a genre that reflects a filmmaker’s thoughtful, reflective style, exploring the space between fiction and documentary in creative ways.

In the 21st century, essay films have grown more diverse with new technology and storytelling methods. Digital tools and online platforms have made it easier for more filmmakers to create and share essay films. These films now often mix documentary and fiction styles, creating a hybrid genre. They also focus on personal, reflective storytelling, sometimes using the filmmaker’s own experiences alongside larger social or political topics.

Video essays are a newer form of media similar to film essays. They are popular on YouTube because the platform allows long, detailed videos. Some video essays are research-heavy, while others argue a specific point throughout the video. These are often created by YouTube channels like ContraPoints and PhilosophyTube.

In music, composer Samuel Barber wrote a set of works called "Essays for Orchestra," where the music itself guides the listener, without relying on a story or plot.

A photographic essay uses a series of linked photographs to explore a topic. These can range from simple photo collections to ones with captions or full written essays. Some photo essays are meant to be viewed in a specific order, while others allow the viewer to choose the order. All photo essays are groups of photos, but not all photo collections are essays.

In visual arts, an essay refers to a preliminary sketch or drawing used to plan a final painting or sculpture. This term comes from the idea of an "attempt" or "trial" in creating art.