An essay is a prose work of a small volume and free composition, expressing individual impressions and considerations on a specific occasion or issue and deliberately not purporting to be a defining or exhaustive interpretation of the subject matter.

In the” Explanatory dictionary of foreign words “L. p. Krysin’s essay is defined as”an essay that treats some problems not in a systematic scientific form, but in a free form”.

“Great encyclopedic dictionary” gives the following definition:”essay – a genre of philosophical, literary-critical, historical-biographical, journalistic prose, combining emphasized individual position of the author with a relaxed, often paradoxical presentation, focused on spoken language.”

“Short literary encyclopedia,” adds: “Essay – is a prose composition a small volume and free composition, treating the special topic and represents an attempt to convey the individual experiences and views, one way or another related to it”.