1. a person who believes that certain groups or categories have fixed, unchanging characteristics or essences that define them
Usage: often used in philosophy, gender studies, and social criticism

1. relating to or based on the belief that things have fixed, unchanging essential characteristics
Usage: often used critically to describe views seen as oversimplified or reductive

Examples

• The critic argued that the author's portrayal of women was essentialist, reducing them to stereotypes.
• Some philosophers reject essentialist thinking about gender and identity.
• An essentialist view assumes that all members of a group share the same core traits.
• She challenged the essentialist notion that certain professions are naturally suited to men or women.
• The essentialist approach to culture overlooks how identities change over time.
• He was accused of essentialism for claiming that nationality determines character.