sine qua non

[sahy-nee kwey non, kwah, sin-ey, si-ne kwah-nohn]

noun

1. an indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential.

   Her presence was the sine qua non of every social event.

sine qua non

/ ˈsaɪnɪ kweɪ ˈnɒn /

noun

1. an essential condition or requirement

sine qua non

1. The essential, crucial, or indispensable ingredient without which something would be impossible: “Her leadership was the sine qua non of the organization's success.” From Latin, meaning “without which nothing.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of sine qua non¹

From Late Latin sine quā (causā) nōn “without which (thing) not”

Word History and Origins

Origin of sine qua non¹

literally: without which not

Idioms and Phrases

An essential element or condition, as in A perfect cake is the since qua non of a birthday party. This phrase is Latin for “without which not” and has been used in English since about 1600. It appears more in writing than in speech.

Example Sentences

In fact, the history of whaling on its own disproves the central point of “The Killing Age,” that guns were a sine qua non for the making of the modern world.

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“But now speed and maneuverability are the sine qua non.”

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The photo-op had supplanted policy as the sine qua non of political discourse.

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The core of the Jan. 6 case is a breathtaking effort to exhort supporters to commit an insurrection and prevent the peaceful transfer of power, the sine qua non of a democracy.

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What I did in the meantime — because I knew that I had to be there and eat the food, and know the people, and that was sine qua non.

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