quintessence

noun

kwin-ˈte-sᵊn(t)s How to pronounce quintessence (audio)
Definition of quintessencenext
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

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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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quintessence
  1. manifestation
  2. essence
  3. classic
  4. apotheosis
  5. ideal
  6. incarnation
  7. model
  8. perfection
Noun
  • The store was designed by Storage Milano in partnership with Tommasi Bardelle and is a physical manifestation of the brand.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
  • While invisible themselves, these cosmic behemoths reveal their presence by bending the light of nearby objects, and the Black Hole Hunters project is searching for one specific manifestation of this effect.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of manifestation
Noun
  • First, the essence of each brand tends to manifest in aesthetics and interaction models.
    — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Rather than rehashing traditional compositions, the group recognizes these sorely untapped sounds as living and malleable, creating new interpretations that bring them to our times without losing an ounce of their essence and verve.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of essence
Noun
  • If ordering à la carte, opt for Hanoian classics like phở bò and bún thang.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Watch On In this Canadian cult classic that doubles as a coming-of-age story, a sardonic goth transforms into a werewolf in the days leading up to Halloween and terrifies her younger sister.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of classic
Noun
  • Ren Faire, a 2024 docuseries Oppenheim shot for HBO about the succession crisis at the Texas Renaissance Festival, marked the apotheosis of this strategy.
    — Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The apotheosis of this aesthetic of thirstiness is found in the paintings of Catherine Mulligan.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of apotheosis
Noun
  • Eisenkot sees the election as a test of whether Israel can preserve the democratic and national ideals of the Zionist movement or drift further from them.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Le Bar The bar at the Four Seasons Hotel George V is essentially the platonic ideal of a hotel bar.
    — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of ideal
Noun
  • In its previous incarnation as an EV specialist, Tesla could have helped.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Mike Flanagan’s story loosely co-opts the villain origin tale behind many of those incarnations — actor with an ax to grind gains shapeshifting abilities — but otherwise starts more or less from scratch.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of incarnation
Noun
  • Next, the researchers developed a simplified model that reproduced the observed rotation and current increase.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The vicious cycle of the current model, of course, is that to become marketable a team needs to get and retain good players, and to do that a school has to spend money, which cycles the whole thing back to the start.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of model
Noun
  • Having lost one daughter, Chrissy sought perfection in her remaining child, ignoring the risks of the modification procedure that have resulted in sickly Josie slowly succumbing to a chronic illness.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Counted in that giddy stretch of unexpected euphoria was actual perfection, a run from August through January without defeat, capped off with, of all ridiculous things, a national championship.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of perfection

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quintessence
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Cite this Entry

“Quintessence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quintessence. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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