sine qua non
noun
-ˈnōn also ˌsē-; also ˌsī-ni-ˌkwā-ˈnän
\
also -ˌkwī-
\
Definition of sine qua non
: something absolutely indispensable or essential reliability is a sine qua non for success
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Synonyms & Antonyms for sine qua non
Synonyms
condition, demand, essential, must, must-have, necessary, necessity, need, needful, requirement, requisite
Antonyms
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Examples of sine qua non in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Replacing entrenched fantasies with reality also remains the sine qua non for advancing any prospects for peace. — WSJ, "Refugee Status Is Keeping Palestinians in Exile," 10 July 2018 The sine qua non of an impeachment investigation, to say nothing of actual votes to charge and remove the President, is a Democratic takeover of the House in the November elections. — Jeffrey Toobin, The New Yorker, "Will the Fervor for Impeachment Start a Democratic Civil War?," 19 May 2018 The Trump administration says accepting quotas is a sine qua non. — Tory Newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: There's no easy way out of Trump's trade feud with Europe," 2 May 2018 Ever since Oprah hand-delivered American culture to the gurus of empowerment in the 1990s, positivity has been hailed as the sine qua non of daily living. — Steve Salerno, WSJ, "In the War on Cancer, Truth Becomes a Casualty," 20 Apr. 2018 Emotional, as well as factual, honesty is the sine qua non of a memoir. — Melanie Thernstrom, New York Times, "Can Sobriety Be as Interesting as Addiction? A Writer Wonders," 17 Apr. 2018 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. 2018These 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.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Trending: Brzezinski: 'The Sine Qua...
Trending: Brzezinski: 'The Sine Qua Non of a Stable World Order'
'Something that is considered essential'
Dictionary Entries near sine qua non
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Time Traveler for sine qua non
The first known use of sine qua non was in 1602
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More Definitions for sine qua non
sine qua non
noun
English Language Learners Definition of sine qua non
: something that is absolutely needed
See the full definition for sine qua non in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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