Dictionary

sine qua non en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌsɪn(e)ɪ kwɑː ˈnəʊn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌsɪn(e)ɪ kwɑː ˈnɒn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌsɪni kwɑ ˈnoʊn/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌsaɪni kweɪ ˈnɑn/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌsɪni kwɑ ˈnɑn/ (US)
• /ˌsaɪnɪ kweɪ ˈnɒn/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. An essential or indispensable element, condition, or ingredient.
   • Literature, instead of being an accessory, is the fundamental sine qua non of complete living. 1909, Arnold Bennett, chapter I, in Literary Taste: How to Form It:
   • […] whereas some degree of political freedom is a sine qua non condition for contestation, democracy cannot be sufficiently defined in terms of “liberties”[…] 2000, A. Przeworski, M. Alvarez, J. Cheibub, F. Limongi, Democracy and Development, Cambridge University Press, page 34:
   • Near-synonyms: dealbreaker, necessary condition
   • it is hardly likely he would have found any one so singularly interesting and fascinating as Margarita Riccardini; for the striking and animated beauty of her father was softened and relieved by that peculiar something, half modesty, and half pride, which is the characteristic of English loveliness, and which every Englishman requires as a sine qua non ere he resigns himself to a bondage it is the habit of his nature, or the result of his privileges, to admit reluctantly. 1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], chapter XXIX, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 79:
   • Beauty, grace, and accomplishments are, as I said before, a sine qua non, but as Basil is already the colonel of a crack cavalry corps, and has other military honours promised him in the near future, as also by reason that his father is Governor-General of the gubernium of Odessa, and will leave his son abundant wealth as well as his title of count, I think I have a right to expect something more in his future wife than mere accomplishments and good looks. 1883 January 12, James S[kipp] Borlase, “Darker than Death; a Tale of the Russia of To-day”, in The Hull Packet and East Riding Times, number 5,126, Kingston upon Hull, E.R.Y., chapter XVI (The Countess Takes Precautions and the Count Drives Bargains), page 3, column 3:

Forms

Synonyms

prerequisite · dealbreaker · necessary condition · nonnegotiable

Translations (42)

ja 必須条件 (prerequisite) · et sine qua non (prerequisite) · ru необходи́мое усло́вие n) (prerequisite) · ko 필수조건 (prerequisite) · hy անհրաժեշտ պայման (prerequisite) · el εκ των ων ουκ άνευ (prerequisite) · de notwendige Bedingung (prerequisite) · ja 要件 (prerequisite) · nl absolute voorwaarde (prerequisite) · fi kynnyskysymys (prerequisite) · it condicio sine qua non (prerequisite) · cmn 不可或缺 (prerequisite) · es condición sine qua non (prerequisite) · ko 없어서는 안 될 것 (prerequisite) · hy մի բան, առանց որի հնարավոր չէ (prerequisite) · hu előfeltétel (prerequisite) · it conditio sine qua non (prerequisite) · sv oeftergivligt villkor (prerequisite) · ar لا بُدَّ منه (prerequisite) · ru обяза́тельное усло́вие (prerequisite) · pl warunek sine qua non (prerequisite) · da nødvendig betingelse (prerequisite) · ja 必要条件 (prerequisite) · vi điều kiện tiên quyết (prerequisite) · cmn 必要條件 /必要条件 (prerequisite) · fi edellytys (prerequisite) · sv ofrånkomligt villkor (prerequisite) · ca condició indispensable (prerequisite) · tr olmazsa olmaz (prerequisite) · el απαραίτητη προϋπόθεση (prerequisite) · ar شَرْط لَازِم (prerequisite) · tr vazgeçilemez (prerequisite) · de Conditio sine qua non (prerequisite) · pl warunek niezbędny (prerequisite) · de unerlässliche Voraussetzung (prerequisite) · da absolut nødvendighed (prerequisite) · ko 불가결 (prerequisite) · fr condition sine qua non (prerequisite) · pt sine qua non (prerequisite) · hy էական պայման (prerequisite) · sv nödvändig förutsättning (prerequisite) · de absolute Notwendigkeit (prerequisite)

wikipedia: scholasticism · wikipedia: Aristotle · wikipedia: Boethius · wikidata: Q316560