sine qua non
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sine qua non
- /ˌsaɪnɪ kweɪ ˈnɒn/ UK
- /ˌsɪn(e)ɪ kwɑː ˈnəʊn/ UK
- /ˌsɪn(e)ɪ kwɑː ˈnɒn/ UK
- /ˌsɪni kwɑ ˈnɑn/ US
- /ˌsɪni kwɑ ˈnoʊn/ US
- /ˌsaɪni kweɪ ˈnɑn/ US
Rhymes with -ɒn, -əʊn
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Latin [condiciō] sine quā nōn (“[condition] without which not”), an expression which originated in the works of Boethius as a translation of some Aristotelian expression (perhaps Ancient Greek οὗ οὐκ ἄνευ (hoû ouk áneu); compare also Modern Greek εκ των ων ουκ άνευ (ek ton on ouk ánef) / Katharevousa ἐκ τῶν ὧν οὐκ ἄνευ (ek tón ón ouk ánef)), and was later popularized by scholastics.
noun sine qua nons · sine quibus non · sinequanon · sine quâ non
-
An essential or indispensable element, condition, or ingredient.
Near-synonyms: dealbreaker, necessary condition
Similar: nonnegotiable, prerequisite, dealbreaker, necessary condition
Translations
Every language
noun prerequisite
| Español | condición sine qua non |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 불가결 bulgagyeol, 필수조건 pilsujogeon, 없어서는 안 될 것 eopseoseoneun an doel geot |
| 日本語 | 必須条件 hissujōken, 必要条件 hitsuyōjōken, 要件 yōken |
| 中文 | 必要條件 /必要条件 bìyào tiáojiàn, 不可或缺 chéngyǔ |
| Português | sine qua non |
| Français | condition sine qua non |
| Deutsch | absolute Notwendigkeit, notwendige Bedingung, unerlässliche Voraussetzung, Conditio sine qua non |
| Italiano | conditio sine qua non, condicio sine qua non |
| Ελληνικά | εκ των ων ουκ άνευ ek ton on ouk ánef, απαραίτητη προϋπόθεση aparaítiti proÿpóthesi |
| Русский | обяза́тельное усло́вие objazátelʹnoje uslóvije, необходи́мое усло́вие n) |
| Tiếng Việt | điều kiện tiên quyết |
| العربية | لا بُدَّ منه, شَرْط لَازِم šarṭ lāzim |
Talk about this word "sine qua non." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sine%20qua%20non. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. sine qua non. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sine%20qua%20non "sine qua non." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sine%20qua%20non.Cite this
@misc{sine_qua_non_2026,
title = {sine qua non},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sine%20qua%20non},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
