essay
Prose with argument
An essay is a short piece of writing on a particular subject, typically expressing the author's perspective or argument: a five-paragraph essay, an essay on climate change.
The form ranges from academic assignments to personal reflections.
As a verb, to essay something is to attempt it—a formal or literary usage: She essayed a smile.
Academic argument requiring defense
- dissertationExtended academic treatise
- courseworkStudent academic tasks
- bibliographyList of cited works
- citationMention of a source
footnote · journal · abstract · methodology · hypothesis · findings · rubric · plagiarism
Arranged elements forming whole
- writingRecorded language on surface
- draftingCreating technical blueprints
- revisionAltering to improve
- editingRefining content for clarity
structure · introduction · body · conclusion · paragraph · transition · flow · coherence
Reasoned case or dispute
- claimStatement of ownership or truth
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
- counterargumentPoint challenging another's position
- rebuttalFormal response disputing claims
reasoning · logic · premise · conclusion · persuasion · rhetoric · ethos · pathos
Formal scholarly composition
- tractArea of land
- pamphletUnbound topical booklet
- monographSingle-topic scholarly work
- critiqueDetailed evaluative analysis
polemic · meditation · aphorism · discourse · manifesto · letter · epistle · satire
Written personal recollection
- reflectionReturned light or thought
- introspectionObserving one's own mind
- narrativeAccount of events
- anecdoteBrief account of incident
voice · confession · self-discovery · vulnerability · experience · storytelling · first-person · vignette
Signed newspaper commentary
- editorialPublication's official viewpoint article
- columnVertical structural element
- featureDistinguishing quality or element
- commentaryExplanatory remarks on events
review · byline · longform · exposé · magazine · periodical · Atlantic · reportage
Methodical study of parts
- interpretationAssigned meaning
- themeCentral recurring concept
- symbolismRepresenting concepts through images
- motifRecurring thematic element
allegory · criticism · explication · commentary · Bildungsroman · author · text · novel
thesis
Academic argument requiring defense
- dissertationExtended academic treatise
- courseworkStudent academic tasks
- bibliographyList of cited works
citation · footnote · journal · abstract · methodology · hypothesis · findings · rubric · plagiarism · prompt
composition
Arranged elements forming whole
editing · structure · introduction · body · conclusion · paragraph · transition · flow · coherence · clarity
argument
Reasoned case or dispute
- claimStatement of ownership or truth
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
- counterargumentPoint challenging another's position
rebuttal · reasoning · logic · premise · conclusion · persuasion · rhetoric · ethos · pathos · logos
treatise
Formal scholarly composition
critique · polemic · meditation · aphorism · discourse · manifesto · letter · epistle · satire · parody
memoir
Written personal recollection
- reflectionReturned light or thought
- introspectionObserving one's own mind
- narrativeAccount of events
anecdote · voice · confession · self-discovery · vulnerability · experience · storytelling · first-person · vignette · coming-of-age
op-ed
Signed newspaper commentary
- editorialPublication's official viewpoint article
- columnVertical structural element
- featureDistinguishing quality or element
commentary · review · byline · longform · exposé · magazine · periodical · Atlantic · reportage · profile
analysis
Methodical study of parts
- interpretationAssigned meaning
- themeCentral recurring concept
- symbolismRepresenting concepts through images
motif · allegory · criticism · explication · commentary · Bildungsroman · author · text · novel · poetry
- creative worksbooks, autobiography, memoir, novels, diary
- literaturebooks, book, fiction, poetry, stories
- nonfictionbiography, autobiography, biographies, history, memoir
- writing-related termsparagraph, sentence, word, letter, punctuation
- creationsnovel, artwork, poem, song, film
- textstext, book, article, document, note
- personal essaysNonfiction exploring the author's life
- essay questionQuery requiring written argument
- college essayApplicant's autobiographical submission
- essay writingProducing structured arguments
- application essaysAdmissions writing submissions
- photo essaysImage-driven storytelling pieces
essays, essayist, essayed, essaying, essayists, photoessay, essay questions