qua

American  

[kwey, kwah] / kweɪ, kwɑ /

adverb

1. as; as being; in the character or capacity of.

   The work of art qua art can be judged by aesthetic criteria only.

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qua British  

/ kwɑː, kweɪ /

preposition

1. in the capacity of; by virtue of being

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Etymology

Origin of qua

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin quā, feminine ablative singular of the relative pronoun quī who

Example Sentences

So it’s not just religion qua religion, or religion and law; it’s really bolted onto ideas of capitalism and the economy and dominion of the world.

From Slate • Mar. 10, 2026

In fact, the history of whaling on its own disproves the central point of “The Killing Age,” that guns were a sine qua non for the making of the modern world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

“Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia” is the gem of a sequel to that Oscar-nominated film, centering the story this time around on music as the sine qua non of community.

From New York Times • Aug. 31, 2023

In our debates about Mattel’s Barbie qua feminist hero or tool of the patriarchy, we’ve lost sight that she’s not just Mattel’s Barbie.

From Scientific American • Jul. 21, 2023

It was as though he knew very well that in Lombard's past actions legality had not always been a sine qua non....

From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie