In philosophy, essentialism is the view that, for any specific kind of entity, there is a set of incidental attributes all of which are necessary to its identity and function (Cartwright, 1968). All things can have essential characteristics.

In conversation, Essentialism is reducing something to its fundamentally required attributes. Essentialist terms define and clarify the subject. A less than essentialist description of a dog may include friendly, fluffy, black, 4 legs, named 'Terry', and likes running, these terms can be equally applied to an object which is not a dog. An essentialist description includes enough of the unique characteristics of a dog so that it cannot be confused with anything else, even if it has three legs or speaks English.

According to essentialism, a member of a specific group may possess other characteristics that are neither needed to establish its membership nor preclude its membership, but that essences do not simply reflect ways of grouping objects; they also result in properties of the object, as the object can be subjugated to smaller contexts. This view is contrasted with non-essentialism, which states that, for any given kind of entity, there are no specific traits which entities of that kind must possess.