qua
Americanadverb
preposition
Etymology
Origin of qua
First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin quā, feminine ablative singular of the relative pronoun quī who
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The image of Toyotas and Datsuns — soon rebranded as Nissans — went from quirky to sine qua non.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
“But now speed and maneuverability are the sine qua non.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025
But I think that, in a world of vigilantism and stochastic terror, it is not just bad for speech qua speech, but for governance qua governance.
From Slate • Sep. 12, 2025
“Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia” is the gem of a sequel to that Oscar-nominated film, centering the story this time around on music as the sine qua non of community.
From New York Times • Aug. 31, 2023
It was as though he knew very well that in Lombard's past actions legality had not always been a sine qua non....
From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
