sine qua non
Other forms: sine qua nons; sines qua non
Use the expression sine qua non as an impressive way of describing something that's essential.
Chocolate chips are the sine qua non of chocolate chip cookies, for example, and wind is a sine qua non for flying a kite. The term literally means "without which not" in Latin, and it was originally a legal term. These days, it's used more generally to talk about anything that's necessary.
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a prerequisitesynonyms: essential condition
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Vocabulary lists containing sine qua non
In this retelling, the monster from the Old English epic Beowulf, shares his own story.
Journalist Blaine Harden recounts the life of Shin Dong-hyuk, a young man who made a daring escape from a North Korean prison camp.
In this autobiography, the South African president describes his childhood, education, and the battles against Apartheid that led to his imprisonment for nearly thirty years.