primary qualities

British  

plural noun

1. (in empiricist philosophy) those properties of objects that are directly known by experience, such as size, shape, and number

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Example Sentences

This bus has primary qualities of solidity and space occupancy that exist independently of our perceptual machinery and that can do us injury.

From Scientific American • Aug. 27, 2019

It cannot be that the primary qualities really existed in the simple state extra animam, and then all existing things were made out of them.

From A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy by Husik, Isaac

There must be perception and conception, both vigorous, quick and true; you must have these two primary qualities, the one first, the other last, in every great painter.

From Spare Hours by Brown, John

I am well aware that vitality and majesty are the primary qualities to demand both in life and literature.

From Essays by Benson, Arthur Christopher

Return We have not noticed his iterativeness, his reiterativeness, because it flowed naturally from his primary qualities.

From Spare Hours by Brown, John