Top 85 List of Essay Words To Use

Here is our top list of essay words you can add to your writing. Read our guide.

Writing academic papers requires patience, thorough research, and appropriate words to relay ideas effectively. Below, we have prepared a list of essay words for your piece’s introduction, body, and conclusion.

What Are Essay Words?

List of essay words
Picking the correct phrases and words helps your audience realize your position and persuade them to follow your thinking

Along with a paper’s arguments, format, and structure, essay words are used to adequately explain the subject in a formal but clear manner. Picking the correct phrases and words helps your audience realize your position and persuade them to follow your thinking. Plus, applying suitable words to introduce and expound ideas convinces your readers that you’ve done your research correctly. Here are essay words you can use:

AbsolutelyElucidateNonetheless
AccordingEventuallyNotably
AccordinglyEvidenceObjective
AdditionExemplifyObviously
AfterExpresslyParticularly
AlsoExtremelyPreviously
AlthoughFactPrior
AnotherFirstProblem
BeforeFirstlyReferring
BeginFinallySignificance
BesidesFollowingSignificantly
CaseForemostSimilarly
ChallengingFromSituation
ChieflyFundamentallySoon
ClarifyFurthermoreSpecifically
CloseHenceState
ComparisonHoweverSummarizes
CompellingIllustrateTestament
ComplexImportantlyThen
ConcludeIndeedTherefore
ConsequentlyInstanceThus
ContraryLikewiseTopic
ConverselyMainUndeniably
CoupledMeanwhileWhereas
CurrentlyMoreoverWhile
DefinitelyMyriadWrap
DemonstrateNecessaryYet
DespiteNext
DuringNevertheless

Essay Words for the Introduction

Most academic essays require a formal writing style because using informal writing makes it hard to edit and grade based on a standard the school or university gives. Even personal and narrative essays must stay formal. These are the words to create and enhance your introduction without losing the sense of formality in academic writing.

  1. According

According to the most recent data, more employees prefer working at home than in the office.

  1. Begin

Before we begin analyzing the effects of the problem, we must first know the root of it.

  1. Challenging

Drug addiction is the most challenging global problem every government must solve.

  1. Complex

Mental illness is a topic with many complex issues.

  1. First

To understand the subject better, we will first discuss its history.

  1. Foremost

First and foremost, it’s essential to understand that not all politicians are bad.

  1. From

We can learn a lot from the book “The Little Prince,” such as about the fundamental nature of love.

  1. Main

The main goal of this essay is to discuss the value of justice in our lives.

  1. Myriad

There’s a myriad of factors that affect a country’s tourism.

  1. Objective

The objective of this essay is to spread awareness about the violence women and children face daily. 

  1. Problem

Lack of knowledge in managing finances is a prevalent problem today.

  1. Referring

A good speaker delivers their speech without referring to notes.

  1. Significance

What is the significance of following rules?

  1. State

The youth’s mental state today has been disturbed by societal pressures, such as the impossible beauty standards they see on social media. 

  1. Topic

Mental health is a sensitive topic affecting people of all ages.

Essay Words for Giving Examples

Essays need examples to present arguments and illustrate cases. Examples support claims and offer evidence, and make complex concepts easier for readers. Knowing several essay words for giving examples is vital to avoid the repetition of similar words or phrases. 

  1. Case

Our justice system’s flaws are apparent, such as in the case of O.J. Simpson, who was acquitted despite murdering his wife.

  1. Clarify

To clarify, not all police officers use the law to their advantage.

  1. Demonstrate

The researchers’ findings demonstrate people’s willingness to work as long as the minimum wage increase.

  1. Elucidate

To elucidate the unjust treatment they endure, the employees talked about reaching the company’s sales goal in the hopes of receiving a bonus. 

  1. Evidence

Low morale and decreased participation are only some evidence showing the employees’ dismay at the company’s policies. 

  1. Exemplify

Her work notes exemplify her dedication to the company.

  1. Illustrate

To illustrate their points, the researchers added a line graph in their reports.  

  1. Instance

You can give him anything, a set of his favorite comic series, for instance.

  1. Situation

The manager must learn from a previous situation where employees under her quit because she refused to hear their complaints.  

  1. Testament

The continuous decline in the number of young people willing to work is a testament to the country’s bad economy.

 Essay Words for Highlighting Arguments

These words appear throughout the essay but are mainly for the body. You can use these words to effectively show the importance of an argument and emphasize essential paragraphs in your essay.

  1. Absolutely

Money and power are absolutely the cause of corruption.

  1. Definitely

We definitely need to associate with successful people to motivate ourselves.

  1. Extremely

Some of the prisoners we interviewed are considered extremely dangerous.

  1. Expressly

The rule was expressly created to stop people like her.

  1. Fact

In fact, his familiarity with the subject was minimal.

  1. Fundamentally

The students’ approach to the problem is fundamentally wrong.

  1. Importantly

It’s cheap, user-friendly, and, most importantly, durable. 

  1. Indeed

The new company’s product indeed sold faster than any other merchandise offered in the first quarter.

  1. Necessary

There’s no instance when anyone can say it’s necessary to hurt a child.

  1. Notably

Robert Downey Jr. is a notably successful actor of his generation.

  1. Obviously

Obviously, technology has both advantages and disadvantages.

  1. Particularly

He doesn’t want to be particularly called out for his behavior, but we did it anyway.

  1. Significantly

The donations have dropped significantly due to the pandemic.

  1. Specifically

Our school specifically prohibits bullying of any kind.

  1. Undeniably

Alice in Wonderland syndrome, or AIWS, is undeniably one of the rarest diseases.

Essay Words for Showing Sequence

These words show the order of events or progress in an essay. They are used to give examples to further expound on a point or introduce another concept. However, be careful that each paragraph should only focus on one idea.

  1. After

All of us went home after the incident.

  1. Before

My mother always checks if every door is locked before we leave the house.

  1. Consequently

Gigi is an intelligent and eager student; consequently, she excels at school.

  1. Currently

Our team is currently developing new ways to approach the problem.

  1. During

My mom told me she was awake during her whole leg operation.

  1. Eventually

She eventually returned home, so the search was called off.

  1. Firstly

I won’t buy that e-bike because, firstly, it’s expensive, and secondly, it operates too slowly.

  1. Following

Following the death of the Queen, her son Charles took over and became the United Kingdom’s King.

  1. Hence

Rio fell off his bike yesterday, hence the bruises all over his body.

  1. Meanwhile

She mourned her grandfather’s death. Meanwhile, her husband was busy with his mistress.

  1. Next

I wonder what will happen next if I tell Janice about your lies.

  1. Previously

This data was previously unavailable to the public due to the subject’s sensitivity.

  1. Prior

To write an excellent paper, you need to have prior knowledge of the topic you choose.

  1. Soon

The new president said the country’s economy must be fixed as soon as possible.

  1. While

The lesson of the book is to enjoy life while you can.

Essay Words for Adding Information

No matter what type of essay you write, it should remain informative. Words used to add information create flow, expand arguments, and incorporate details that support your points. 

  1. Addition

I work at a great company that encourages work-life balance in addition to my salary.

  1. Also

Unsettled political issues make citizens worry and also affect investors’ earnings.

  1. Another

Another top piece of advice to live by is to be prepared for anything.

  1. Besides

Besides being the family’s breadwinner, Jia also does all the house chores.

  1. Coupled

Overproduction coupled with low sales leads to enormous company losses.

  1. Furthermore

Furthermore, I don’t have time to do that.

  1. Likewise

My mom argued going on an extravagant vacation despite our little savings was a bad idea. I thought likewise.

  1. Moreover

We chose this place because the rent is cheap and the security is tight. Moreover, the location is close to our workplace.

  1. Similarly

Cindy and James are a married couple who are similarly successful in their chosen careers.

  1. Then

To break the silence in the room, she began to sing, then others joined in.

Essay Words for Comparing and Contrasting Ideas

These are words used to include information that confirms or disagrees with a point in your essay. Words that compare and contrast ideas are common in argumentative essays. It’s because this type demands a counterargument to fairly present other experts’ take on the issue.

  1. Although

Although many researchers think environmental factors cause the disease, some also believe it’s inherited.

  1. Comparison

However, the sample size she used was too small in comparison to the big labs’ experiments.

  1. Contrary

Contrary to the storm forecast, we had a beautiful day for my birthday party.

  1. Conversely

Studies show that giving words of encouragement can make workers end up with subpar results. Conversely, praising employees can motivate them to work harder.

  1. Despite

The principal decided to expel the students despite the many indications that they were not at fault.

  1. However

Sheila says she loves her boyfriend very much; however, she didn’t think twice about cheating on him.

  1. Nevertheless

Her classmates bully her because her mother is a cleaner; nevertheless, she doesn’t let the hurtful words affect her.

  1. Nonetheless

The article is a long read; nonetheless, it was very entertaining.

  1. Whereas

The old system in our company was complicated whereas the new system is straightforward.

  1. Yet

Cindy looks delicate, yet her tongue is sharp and often hurts others’ feelings.

Essay Words for the Conclusion

The conclusion is an essential part of the essay. It reiterates important points, leaves the readers with something to think about, and wraps up the essay nicely so it doesn’t end abruptly. 

  1. Accordingly

After realizing her self-destructive tendencies, Ella decided to make drastic changes and behaved accordingly.

  1. Chiefly

She dropped out of her accounting classes, chiefly because she couldn’t see herself as an accountant.

  1. Close

To close, my essay focused on the advantages and disadvantages of increasing the minimum wage.

  1. Compelling

In the end, there’s no compelling reason to believe the suspect, so the jury found him guilty.

  1. Conclude

To conclude, many economic aspects rely on capitalism and what investors are willing to do to stabilize the market.

  1. Finally

Finally, we must learn how to forgive and move on to have a happy life.

  1. Summarizes

This paper summarizes all the essential information you need to know about writing.

  1. Therefore

Therefore, if you want love, you must give it in return.

  1. Thus

Thus, the question of whether the chicken or egg came first is finally answered.

  1. Wrap

To wrap up everything, I believe that the only way to persuade workers to be dedicated to their work is by giving them the appropriate remuneration.Check out our guide packed full of transition words for essays.

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Author

  • Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.