haecceity

/ hiːk-, hɛkˈsiːɪtɪ /

noun

1. philosophy the property that uniquely identifies an object Compare quiddity

Word History and Origins

Origin of haecceity¹

C17: from Medieval Latin haecceitas, literally: thisness, from haec, feminine of hic this

Example Sentences

We might take a lesson from John Duns Scotus, one of the most important Franciscan theologians, who stressed the concept of “thisness,” or “haecceity.”

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Radical Islam, no less than Western nationhood, is not a freestanding haecceity against which you can go to war, as more than one Republican Presidential candidate has wheezed.

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