causa sine qua non

American  

[kou-sah si-ne kwah nohn, kaw-zuh sahy-nee kwey non, kaw-zuh sin-ey kwah nohn] / ˈkaʊ sɑ ˈsɪ nɛ kwɑ ˈnoʊn, ˈkɔ zə ˈsaɪ ni kweɪ ˈnɒn, ˈkɔ zə ˈsɪn eɪ kwɑ ˈnoʊn /

noun

Latin.

1. an indispensable condition; requisite.

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Etymology

Origin of causa sine qua non

Literally, “a cause without which not”

Example Sentences

And in this sense his purpose was causa sine qua non, a cause without which any given event would not have happened, and therefore could not have been foreseen as certain.

From Project Gutenberg

Concerning the word "faith," 1549, Flacius, for example had said that our effort to obey God might be called a "causa sine qua non, or something which serves salvation."

From Project Gutenberg

His words are: "Atque hinc apparet, quatenus nostrum studium obediendi Deo dici possit causa sine qua non, seu huperetikon ti, id est, quiddam subserviens ad salutem."

From Project Gutenberg

But when his attention was called to this passage, he first eliminated the causa sine qua non and substituted ad vitam aeternam for ad salutem, and afterwards changed this phrase into ad veram pietatem.

From Project Gutenberg

For the same reason Flacius objected to the phrase that good works are necessary as causa sine qua non.

From Project Gutenberg