essence

nouns

the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience
"the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story"
center, centre, core, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, kernel, marrow, meat, nitty-gritty, nub, pith, substance, sum
is derived from
essential
any substance possessing to a high degree the predominant properties of a plant or drug or other natural product from which it is extracted
essence
is derived from
essential
is a type of (narrower)
the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists
"DNA is the substance of our genes"
substance
the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work
burden, core, effect, essence, gist
a toiletry that emits and diffuses a fragrant odor
essence, perfume