quintessential

[kwin-tuh-sen-shuh l]

adjective

of the pure and essential essence of something: the quintessential Jewish delicatessen.

of or relating to the most perfect embodiment of something: the quintessential performance of the Brandenburg Concertos.

Related formsquin·tes·sen·tial·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for quintessentially

Contemporary Examples of quintessentially

He was 23 when they met, she 17, and both working at a luxury services company, Quintessentially.
William, Kate, and Jay Z’s Favorite Art Star: Alexander Gilkes' World of Rock Stars and Royalty
Tim Teeman
December 10, 2014
This quintessentially human search for explanation is not specifically conservative.
Liberian Pastors Blame Ebola on Gays, The Right Blames Obama
Jay Michaelson
October 27, 2014
Criminal justice is quintessentially a local matter; policing, judging, and operating local jails are municipal endeavors.
Prosecuting Officer Wilson Won't Bring Justice to Ferguson
Candace McCoy
August 23, 2014
A quintessentially French event, the Tour de France, begins in England.
A British Start to the Tour de France Forces the English to Wonder: What Does Being English Mean Anymore?
Clive Irving
July 6, 2014
The quintessentially American lesson he learns is never to be joyless.
A History of American Fun
Stefan Beck
February 9, 2014

Historical Examples of quintessentially

Now, if the real part of poetry is anywhere in Hayley, or quintessentially in Pope, it certainly is not in Crashaw.
A History of English Literature
George Saintsbury
The Religio Medici , quintessentially learned, wise and splendid, is the fullest memorial of his power.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 6
Various
Indeed he possessed, quintessentially, that "naturalness" of matter and form on which so much stress has been laid.
A Letter Book
George Saintsbury

British Dictionary definitions for quintessentially

quintessential

adjective

most typically representative of a quality, state, etc; perfect

Derived Formsquintessentially, adverb

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

Word Origin and History for quintessentially

quintessential

adj.

c.1600, "purest, most refined," from quintessence (Medieval Latin quint essentia) + -al (1). Related: Quintessentially.