quintessence 1 of 2

noun

kwin-ˈte-sᵊn(t)s How to pronounce quintessence (audio)
Definition of quintessencenext
1
as in manifestation
the most perfect type or example the Parthenon in Greece was considered the quintessence of the perfectly proportioned building

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in essence
the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is a selfless desire to help others is the quintessence of the virtue of charity

Synonyms & Similar Words

quintessential

2 of 2

adjective

ˌkwin-tə-ˈsen(t)-shəl How to pronounce quintessential (audio)
as in classic
constituting, serving as, or worthy of being a pattern to be imitated Helen of Troy was supposedly the quintessential beauty of the ancient world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quintessence
Noun
That’s partly because punk, with its assaultive immediacy and defiant not-niceness, now seems like the quintessence of the pre-digital world. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 24 July 2022 To some, quintessence was a subtle substance found in some degree in each of the other four elements. — Meg Neal, Popular Mechanics, 10 Feb. 2021
Adjective
Born in Brooklyn to Italian immigrant parents and raised in the Bronx on March 30, 1933, Appignani embodied the quintessential American success story. — Sergio R. Bustos, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 The perfumer who created it, Olivia Giacobetti, is also the nose behind Diptyque’s Philosykos, a scent regularly name-checked as the quintessential fig perfume. — April Long, Allure, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for quintessence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quintessence
  1. manifestation
  2. essence
  3. classic
  4. apotheosis
  5. ideal
  6. incarnation
  7. model
  8. perfection
Noun
  • Turns out, Shakespeare didn’t have to decide, because the story works equally well whether the reader believes the figure is ectoplasm in the castle courtyard or is a psychological manifestation of Hamlet’s nagging conscience.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The demonstrations became a more widespread manifestation of anger and anxiety about education, employment, and general livelihood issues.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of manifestation
Noun
  • Finish Skin Prep With a Toner or Essence After cleansing, a toning step can remove any leftover impurities from the pores and balance the skin’s pH level, while essences—which have a slightly thicker texture—tend to be more hydrating.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Finding the essence of a scene does not always mean moving closer or showing more.
    — Callum McLennan, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of essence
Noun
  • The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister An eerie fable that seems to take place across and outside of time, The Bog Wife is already a classic of the modern bog-core genre.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Its Lotus and Talisman collections, alongside solitaires and diamond classics, are being developed as recognizable signatures that can be worn, layered and collected over time.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of classic
Noun
  • Ren Faire, a 2024 docuseries Oppenheim shot for HBO about the succession crisis at the Texas Renaissance Festival, marked the apotheosis of this strategy.
    — Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The apotheosis of this aesthetic of thirstiness is found in the paintings of Catherine Mulligan.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of apotheosis
Noun
  • In practice, socialism operated more as a moral ideal for egalitarian liberals than as a discernible electoral strategy.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Of course, one is inevitably loaded with expectations and prejudices, but the ideal of letting the work teach you how to consider it, as the philosopher Stanely Cavell counseled, is a useful starting point.
    — Lola Seaton, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of ideal
Noun
  • Most of these programs did not have physical forms in their original MCU incarnations, but appear in human form within the world inside Vision’s mind.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • At the Zurich conference, Mayer noted that CoComelon‘s Netflix incarnation was the streamer’s most popular title from 2021-2024.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of incarnation
Noun
  • By 2023, with tensions mounting between Israel and Hamas, Qatari officials pressed for a different model, one that would deliver assistance to Gazans without making civilians dependent on either Hamas or the Israeli government.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • For a complicated model with multiple color changes, the waste can become substantial.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of model
Noun
  • The present ideal isn’t perfection, but a kind of rule-breaking individualism, preferably with an IYKYK spin.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Afsaneh Salari’s Tehran, Under the Skin enters Tehran’s cosmetic clinics to explore the pressures behind Iran’s widespread culture of cosmetic surgery in pursuit of physical perfection, in a conservative society that seeks to control women’s beauty.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of perfection

Browse Nearby Words

quilts
quintessence
quintessences
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Cite this Entry

“Quintessence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quintessence. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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