Anti-essentialism is a theoretical and methodological stance that fundamentally rejects the philosophical doctrine of essentialism, which posits that entities, categories, or identities possess inherent, fixed, or immutable essences determining their nature or meaning. It argues instead that these phenomena are contingent products of historical, social, cultural, or discursive processes. As a research concept, anti-essentialism investigates the mechanisms of category formation, maintenance, and contestation, focusing on their relational, contextual, and performative dimensions. Its significance spans numerous academic fields by providing a critical lens to deconstruct seemingly natural or universal classifications and to analyze the fluid, constructed, and power-laden aspects of reality, identity, and knowledge.