1. People who believe that certain things have an essential nature or unchanging core characteristics that define them.
Usage: plural form; often used in philosophy, education, and social theory
2. Advocates of essentialism in education, the view that schools should teach a core curriculum of essential knowledge and skills.
Usage: plural form; educational context

Examples

• Essentialists argue that gender differences are rooted in biological nature rather than social conditioning.
• The essentialists on the school board pushed for a return to traditional subjects like mathematics and literature.
• Some essentialists believe that human nature has fixed properties that cannot be fundamentally changed.
• Essentialists in philosophy contend that objects possess defining characteristics independent of human perception.
• The debate between essentialists and constructivists has shaped modern educational policy.