quintessential
Americanadjective
-
of the pure and essential essence of something.
the quintessential Jewish delicatessen.
-
of or relating to the most perfect embodiment of something.
the quintessential performance of the Brandenburg Concertos.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- quintessentially adverb
Etymology
Origin of quintessential
First recorded in 1545–55; quintessence ( def. ) + -ial ( def. ), on the pattern of essential ( def. )
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.
Hence, the inspiration for the photo: a take on the quintessential family-style portrait — the ones you kind of cringe at when you walk into someone’s home, radiating manufactured happiness.
From Los Angeles Times
It's also a quintessential slice of Australian community.
From BBC
A quintessential holiday spice made by a single manufacturer has been recalled by the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times
Despite all this — or because of it — Stone happens to be a quintessential Los Angeles composer.
From Los Angeles Times
She quickly becomes a household word, a symbol of something quintessentially American.
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.
