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
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
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
To test whether dark energy is caused by quintessence or the cosmological constant, scientists must determine whether the strength of dark energy has changed over time.
—Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2021
But Frieman hopes new data may reveal something more exotic, such as a mysterious substance called quintessence, which some scientists have proposed could explain the accelerating expansion of the universe.
—Ramin Skibba, Discover Magazine, 24 Jan. 2020
See All Example Sentences for quintessence
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
To test whether dark energy is caused by quintessence or the cosmological constant, scientists must determine whether the strength of dark energy has changed over time.
—Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2021
But Frieman hopes new data may reveal something more exotic, such as a mysterious substance called quintessence, which some scientists have proposed could explain the accelerating expansion of the universe.
—Ramin Skibba, Discover Magazine, 24 Jan. 2020
See All Example Sentences for quintessence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quintessence
Noun
-
Within the parameters of a game—where non-player characters essentially function as different disguises for, and manifestations of, a single narrative engine—such paranoia might not be unjustified.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Its arrival in this sizzling Fire sign shifts the tone from dreamy introversion to active manifestation.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Dion’s voice, phrasing, physicality and offbeat sense of humor with uncanny precision, but also her essence.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
-
There are many more overt examples of Silicon Valley misbehavior sprinkled through the premiere episode of The Audacity, but the essence of Jonathan Glatzer’s tech-world satire may be in this digital billboard that appears on the side of the road.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Queen Bee pajama is a true classic -- an early design that’s stood the test of time and remains one of the brand's most popular styles.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Customers can check out road bikes, mountain bikes, cruisers, hybrids, BMX and vintage classics.—
Kathryn Kovalenko,
Twin Cities,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
After portraying Alabaster, down to his pearly-white surname, as the apotheosis of white male villainy, Cash deflates him by arguing, essentially, #NotAllMen.—
Malavika Kannan,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
-
For this Welsh immigrant family rose from nothing to produce an American icon who mastered a distinctly American art form — the ultimate apotheosis of the American Dream — and who is, ironically, the most miserable of them all.—
Ben Croll,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Passover is not about a historical event but about a metaphoric explication of an ideal.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The patriotic ethos of Cold War–era public schools reinforced his sense of American ideals.—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This traces the origins of her house, from its first, paradigm-shifting garments to its present-day incarnation under current creative director, Daniel Roseberry.—
Jane Levere,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The backstory Once a late-night hot spot on the boulevard Rochechouart in the 1920s, the former incarnation of the hotel drew in traveling artists, intellectuals, and a smattering of stars.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
So no, the Nets didn’t spend this season proving that five first-round picks at once is some elegant new model the rest of the league should rush to copy.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The system runs on UnifoLM, Unitree’s proprietary unified large-scale model for robotics, and supports reinforcement learning to improve motion control and task execution.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Clark timed her run to perfection and met the ball at the right time.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Even the porridge has achieved near-mythical status among regulars, finished with brown sugar and cooked to creamy perfection.—
Julie Lin,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quintessence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quintessence. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
