sine qua non

[sahy-nee kwey non, kwah, sin-ey, si-ne kwah-nohn] / ˈsaɪ ni kweɪ ˈnɒn, kwɑ, ˈsɪn eɪ, ˈsɪ nɛ kwɑˈnoʊn /

NOUN

condition

Synonyms

WEAK

arrangement article catch codicil contingency demand essential exception exemption fine print kicker modification must must-have necessity need postulate precondition prerequisite provision proviso qualification requirement requisite reservation rule small print stipulation strings terms

Example Sentences

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sine qua non

The image of Toyotas and Datsuns — soon rebranded as Nissans — went from quirky to sine qua non.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026

In fact, the history of whaling on its own disproves the central point of “The Killing Age,” that guns were a sine qua non for the making of the modern world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025

But a first hostage deal “is the sine qua non of the administration’s larger regional deal,” said Martin S. Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel.

From New York Times ● Jan. 25, 2024

And in gourmet circles, nettles are the sine qua non of spring greens.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 18, 2023

It was as though he knew very well that in Lombard's past actions legality had not always been a sine qua non....

From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie

sine qua non

Example Sentences

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