quintessence
[ kwin-tes-uh ns ]
/ kwɪnˈtɛs əns /
noun
the pure and concentrated essence of a substance.
the most perfect embodiment of something.
(in ancient and medieval philosophy) the fifth essence or element, ether, supposed to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies, the others being air, fire, earth, and water.
QUIZZES
TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!
Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!
Question 1 of 10
Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.
Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.
It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.
It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUTOrigin of quintessence
1400–50; Middle English < Medieval Latin quīnta essentia fifth essence
OTHER WORDS FROM quintessence
quin·tes·sen·tial [kwin-tuh-sen-shuh l] /ˌkwɪn təˈsɛn ʃəl/, adjectiveWords nearby quintessence
quintant, quinte, quintefoil, quinternion, quintero, quintessence, quintessential, quintet, quintic, quintile, quintilian
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for quintessence
British Dictionary definitions for quintessence
quintessence
/ (kwɪnˈtɛsəns) /
noun
the most typical representation of a quality, state, etc
an extract of a substance containing its principle in its most concentrated form
(in ancient and medieval philosophy) ether, the fifth and highest essence or element after earth, water, air, and fire, which was thought to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies and latent in all things
Word Origin for quintessence
C15: via French from Medieval Latin quinta essentia the fifth essence, translation of Greek pemptē ousia
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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