sine qua non
[ sahy-nee kwey non, kwah, sin-ey; Latin si-ne kwah-nohn ]
/ ˈsaɪ ni kweɪ ˈnɒn, kwɑ, ˈsɪn eɪ; Latin ˈsɪ nɛ kwɑˈnoʊn /
noun
an indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential: Her presence was the sine qua non of every social event.
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Nearby words
sindonology, sine, sine curve, sine die, sine prole, sine qua non, sine wave, sinecure, sinemet, sinew, sinewy
Origin of sine qua non
From the Late Latin word sine quā (causā) nōn without which (thing) not
Definition for sine qua non (2 of 2)
causa sine qua non
[ kou-sah si-ne kwah nohn; English kaw-zuh sahy-nee kwey non, kaw-zuh sin-ey kwah nohn ]
/ ˈkaʊ sɑ ˈsɪ nɛ kwɑ ˈnoʊn; English ˈkɔ zə ˈsaɪ ni kweɪ ˈnɒn, ˈkɔ zə ˈsɪn eɪ kwɑ ˈnoʊn /
noun Latin.
an indispensable condition; requisite.
Origin of causa sine qua non
literally, a cause without which not
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for sine qua non
sine qua non
/ Latin (ˈsaɪnɪ kweɪ ˈnɒn) /
noun
an essential condition or requirement
Word Origin for sine qua non
literally: without which not
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
Culture definitions for sine qua non
sine qua non
[ (sin-i kwah non, nohn) ]
The essential, crucial, or indispensable ingredient without which something would be impossible: “Her leadership was the sine qua non of the organization's success.” From Latin, meaning “without which nothing.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Idioms and Phrases with sine qua non
sine qua non
An essential element or condition, as in A perfect cake is the since qua non of a birthday party. This phrase is Latin for “without which not” and has been used in English since about 1600. It appears more in writing than in speech.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.