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.”

From Washington Post

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.

From The New Yorker