Explain Esterification

The process of converting an acid into an alkyl or aryl derivative. Most frequently the process consists of the reaction of an acid with an alcohol in the presence of a trace of mineral acid as catalyst or the reaction of an acyl chloride with an alcohol. Esterification is the act or process of making ether; specifically, the process by which a large quantity of alcohol is transformed into ether by the agency of a small amount of sulphuric, or ethyl sulphuric, acidification and can also be accomplished by enzymatic processes