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sine qua non

 - 3 dictionary results

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.
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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.
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Idioms & Phrases

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.
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