qua
Americanadverb
preposition
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.
This is the sine qua non of self-defense.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
But I think that, in a world of vigilantism and stochastic terror, it is not just bad for speech qua speech, but for governance qua governance.
From Slate • Sep. 12, 2025
But a first hostage deal “is the sine qua non of the administration’s larger regional deal,” said Martin S. Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel.
From New York Times • Jan. 25, 2024
For those actors who consider crying to be the sine qua non of their art, a sorrowful biography offers a distinct advantage in the Method acting sweepstakes.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2024
“I’m afraid Mr. Lemoncello doesn’t like 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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
