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 /
Save This Word!
noun
an indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential: Her presence was the sine qua non of every social event.
QUIZZES
THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?
Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
Origin of sine qua non
From Late Latin sine quā (causā) nōn “without which (thing) not”
Words nearby sine qua non
sine curve, sine die, Sinemet, sine prole, Sinequan, sine qua non, sinew, sine wave, sinewy, Sinfjotli, sinfonia
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for sine qua non
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
Cultural 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.