unessence

English

Etymology

un- +‎ essence

Noun

unessence (uncountable)

1. (philosophy) Lack of essence; that which is not essence.

Verb

unessence (third-person singular simple present unessences, present participle unessencing, simple past and past participle unessenced)

1. (transitive) To deprive of its essential nature.
   • 1823, Elia [pseudonym; Charles Lamb], Elia. Essays which have Appeared under that Signature in The London Magazine, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC:

     Not only does truth, in these long intervals, unessence herself, but (what is harder) one cannot venture a crude fiction for the fear that it may ripen into a truth upon the voyage.

   • 1965, An introduction to educational and psychological research, page 7:

     Education is a vital process involving intelligent, growing, sensitive and dynamic human elements and it becomes mechanical at the risk of unessencing itself.