Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Synonyms
Nearby Entries
sine qua non - 5 dictionary results
Que Non
 Find Que Non Online. Free Shipping on 150,000+ Products!
 www.Target.com

si⋅ne qua non

  [sahy-nee kwey non, kwah, sin-ey; Lat. si-ne kwah-nohn]
Use sine qua non in a Sentence
–noun
an indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential: Her presence was the sine qua non of every social event.
Origin:
< LL sine quā (causā) nōn without which (thing) not
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To sine qua non
si·ne qua non   (sĭn'ĭ kwä nŏn', nōn', sī'nĭ, kwā)   
n.  An essential element or condition: "The perfect cake is the sine qua non of the carefully planned modern wedding" (J.M. Hilary).

[Late Latin sine quā (causā) nōn, without which (cause) not : Latin sine, without + Latin quā : ablative of quī, which, what, who + Latin nōn, not.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

sine qua non [(sin-i kwah non, nohn)]

The essential, crucial, or indispensable ingredient without which something would be impossible: “Her leadership was the sine qua non of the organization's success.” From Latin, meaning “without which nothing.”

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

sine qua non 
"an indispensible condition," 1602, from L., lit. "without which not," from sine "without" + qua abl. fem. sing. of qui "which" + non "not." Fem. to agree with implied causa. The L. phrase is common in Scholastic use. Sometimes a masc. form, sine quo non, is used when a person is intended. Proper plural is sine quibus non.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

sine qua non

An essential element or condition, as in A perfect cake is the since qua non of a birthday party. This phrase is Latin for "without which not" and has been used in English since about 1600. It appears more in writing than in speech.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see sine qua non on Thesaurus | Reference
Que Non
 Find Que Non Online. Free Shipping on 150,000+ Products!
 www.Target.com