quintessential

[ kwin-tuh-sen-shuhl ]
See synonyms for quintessential on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. of the pure and essential essence of something: the quintessential Jewish delicatessen.

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

Origin of quintessential

1
First recorded in 1545–55; quintessence + -ial, on the pattern of essential

Other words from quintessential

  • quin·tes·sen·tial·ly, adverb

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How to use quintessential in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for quintessential

quintessential

/ (ˌkwɪntɪˈsɛnʃəl) /


adjective
  1. most typically representative of a quality, state, etc; perfect

Derived forms of quintessential

  • quintessentially, 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