“qua non”

The following 3 entries include the term qua non.

sine qua non

noun

: something absolutely indispensable or essential

See the full definition

causa sine qua non

Latin noun phrase

: cause without which not : a necessary cause or condition

See the full definition

conditio sine qua non

noun

: an indispensable condition

See the full definition

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gallivant

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Which Came First?

  • baby chick with a brown egg
  • hot take or cold shoulder?
Name That Thing

You know what it looks like… but what is it called?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Pick the best words!

PLAY
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
swan-with-a-cygnet
Quiz: Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Prove you're the best of the nest.
See All