sine qua non

noun si·ne qua non \ ˌsi-ni-ˌkwä-ˈnän , -ˈnōn also ˌsē- ; also ˌsī-ni-ˌkwā-ˈnän \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of sine qua non

plural sine qua nons also sine quibus non play \-ˌkwi-(ˌ)bu̇s- also -ˌkwī-\

: something absolutely indispensable or essential

reliability is a sine qua non for success

See sine qua non defined for English-language learners

Examples of sine qua non in a Sentence

Patience is a sine qua non for this job.
an extensive grounding in mathematics is a sine qua non for a career in architecture

Recent Examples of sine qua non from the Web

Tailored suits with sensible pumps are the sine qua non of congressional drag.

— elinor burkett, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kellyanne Conway Has Been Quietly Revolutionizing D.C. Since the Late '90s," 3 Feb. 2017
For decades, antique Persians, hand-knotted from silk and often taking years or even decades to produce, were the gold standard of floor coverings for the swank, the sine qua non of Oriental rugs.

— jacob bernstein, New York Times, "The Rich Have Abandoned Rich-People Rugs," 28 Feb. 2018
The hybrids Sacai’s Abe pioneered years ago are the sine qua non of fashion today, but hers remain more convincing than anybody else’s.

— nicole phelps, Vogue, "The Top 12 Collections of Fall 2018," 8 Mar. 2018
North Korea sees obtaining such a capability as the sine qua non of its security against attack.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Lindsey Graham Says There’s a 70 Percent Chance Trump Orders a Strike on North Korea If They Do Another Nuclear Test," 14 Dec. 2017
And the sine qua non of Vikings’ lives was migration.

— sigal samuel, The Atlantic, "What To Do When Racists Try To Hijack Your Religion," 2 Nov. 2017
The pivot for Fox News required it to fully commit to pushing conspiracy theories, the sine qua non of the Trumpian mindset.

— douglas perry, OregonLive.com, "10 conspiracy theories that turned Fox News into the Donald Trump Channel (commentary)," 1 Nov. 2017
In the Northeast elevation is the sine qua non for such a deluge; rain condenses from rising air, and mountain slopes give air a lift.

— anthony r. wood, Philly.com, "Not Texas, but 28.5 inches rain once fell in just 3 hours … in Pa.," 31 Aug. 2017
Cool nights are a sine qua non for producing the chemical reactions that coax leaf color out of hiding.

— anthony r. wood, Philly.com, "Fall foliage show 1 to 2 weeks behind; blame the warmth," 26 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sine qua non.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Sine qua non can be translated literally as "Without which, not". Though this may sound like gibberish, it means more or less "Without (something), (something else) won't be possible". Sine qua non sounds slightly literary, and it shouldn't be used just anywhere. But it actually shows up in many contexts, including business ("A solid customer base is the sine qua non to success"), show business ("A good agent is a sine qua non for an actor's career"), and politics ("His support was really the sine qua non for her candidacy").

Origin and Etymology of sine qua non

Late Latin, without which not

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First Known Use: 1602

in the meaning defined above

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SINE QUA NON Defined for English Language Learners

sine qua non

noun

Definition of sine qua non for English Language Learners

: something that is absolutely needed

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SINE QUA NON Defined for English Language Learners

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