qua

American

[kwey, kwah] / kweɪ, kwɑ /

adverb

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

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

qua British

/ kwɑː, kweɪ /

preposition

in the capacity of; by virtue of being

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of qua

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

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.

See Examples For:

qua

The image of Toyotas and Datsuns — soon rebranded as Nissans — went from quirky to sine qua non.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026

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

“But now speed and maneuverability are the sine qua non.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 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

“I don’t think Mr. Lemoncello loves libraries qua libraries.”

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023