quintessence

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin quinta essentia "fifth essence".

Pronunciation

• enPR: kwĭn-tĕsʹ-əns, IPA: /kwɪn.ˈtɛs.əns/, X-SAMPA: /kwIn."tEs.@ns/

Noun

quintessence (uncountable)

1. A thing that is the most perfect example of its type; the most perfect embodiment of something.
2. A pure substance.
3. The essence in a thing that in its purest and most concentrated form.
4. (alchemy) The fifth alchemical element, or essence, after earth, air, fire, and water
5. (physics) A hypothetical form of dark energy postulated to explain observations of an accelerating universe.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:model

Derived terms

• quintessential
• quintessentially

Related terms

• ether

Translations

most perfect example of its type

• Galician: quintaesencia (gl) f

• Russian: квинтэссенция (ru) (kvintessɛ́ncija) f 

pure substance

• Galician: quintaesencia (gl) f

• Georgian: კვინტესენცია (ka) (kvintesents’ia) 

essence in its most pure and concentrated form

• Galician: quintaesencia (gl) f

• Georgian: კვინტესენცია (ka) (kvintesents’ia) 

References

• quintessence in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• “quintessence” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).
• “quintessence” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.