sine qua non

[sahy-nee kwey non, kwah, sin-ey, si-ne kwah-nohn] / ˈsaɪ ni kweɪ ˈnɒn, kwɑ, ˈsɪn eɪ, ˈsɪ nɛ kwɑˈnoʊn /

NOUN

condition

Synonyms

WEAK

arrangement article catch codicil contingency demand essential exception exemption fine print kicker modification must must-have necessity need postulate precondition prerequisite provision proviso qualification requirement requisite reservation rule small print stipulation strings terms

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In fact, the history of whaling on its own disproves the central point of “The Killing Age,” that guns were a sine qua non for the making of the modern world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

And in gourmet circles, nettles are the sine qua non of spring greens.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 18, 2023

Lowering that temperature and finding genuine solutions to the disputes that divide us is increasingly the sine qua non of American domestic statesmanship.

From Washington Post • Mar. 1, 2023

‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’ A deranged hypnotist uses a sleepwalker to do his dirty work in director Robert Wiene’s silent 1920 terror tale, the sine qua non of German Expressionist cinema.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2022

It was as though he knew very well that in Lombard's past actions legality had not always been a sine qua non....

From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie

sine qua non

Example Sentences

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