English Meaning & Definitions
The most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.
- “His performance was the quintessence of professionalism.”
- “The small town was the quintessence of rural charm.”
In ancient and medieval philosophy, the fifth and highest essence after the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water, thought to be the substance of the heavenly bodies.
- “Alchemists spent centuries searching for the quintessence, believing it held the secret to immortality.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “quintessence”.
Derived from the Medieval Latin 'quinta essentia', meaning 'fifth essence'. In ancient and medieval philosophy, the four terrestrial elements were earth, air, fire, and water; the 'fifth essence' was the pure, ethereal substance that made up the celestial bodies and was believed to permeate all things.
Think of 'quint' (five) + 'essence' (the core). It is the fifth, most important essence beyond the basic four.
Frequently Asked Questions About “quintessence”
1. What is the meaning of “quintessence” in English?
In English, quintessence (noun) is defined as: “The most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.”.
2. How do you use “quintessence” in a sentence?
“His performance was the quintessence of professionalism.”
3. What are English synonyms of “quintessence”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “quintessence”?
Derived from the Medieval Latin 'quinta essentia', meaning 'fifth essence'. In ancient and medieval philosophy, the four terrestrial elements were earth, air, fire, and water; the 'fifth essence' was the pure, ethereal substance that made up the celestial bodies and was believed to permeate all things.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.