of the essence

Idioms and Phrases

Of the greatest importance, crucial, as in Time is of the essence . This idiom, which uses essence in the sense of “the most important element of something,” was first recorded in 1873, although the phrase the essence of ... was already being used in the mid-1600s.

Example Sentences

“There wasn’t that separation like ‘I only like goth, and I’m gonna wear black clothes,’ ” says Hamilton of the essence of the soundtrack.

From Los Angeles Times

Now, time is of the essence as election day is less than four months away and a lack of unity in the Democratic Party could further hurt its cause.

From Los Angeles Times

In his address, Mr Guterres stressed that time was of the essence, with the impacts of rising temperatures already being felt - such as the recent deadly heatwaves in Asia or the floods in South America.

From BBC

So time is of the essence for both taxpayers and the agency this season.

From Seattle Times

Recently burned forests are the most obvious priority for reforestation, since time is of the essence; erosion alone can damage water supplies for years unless trees are able to reestablish themselves.

From New York Times