Meanings
plural quintessences
- countableuncountableA thing that is the most perfect example of its type; the most perfect embodiment of something; epitome, prototype.
As families and kindreds sometimes do; producing, after long ages of unnoted notability, some living quintescence of all the qualities they had, to flame forth as a man world-noted […]
1837, Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC, (please specify the book or page number)1 more example
The Pagans did well enough; I cordially admire the refinement of their minds; but it has been reserved for a Christian country to attain this extreme, this quintessence, this absolute of poignancy.
1877–1880, Robert Louis Stevenson, “(please specify the page)”, in New Arabian Nights […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Chatto & Windus, […], published 1882, →OCLCSynonyms: archetype, epitome, example, exemplar, icon, model, paradigm, paragon
- countableuncountableThe essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form.
Let ther be Light, ſaid God, and forthwith Light, / Ethereal, firſt of things, quinteſſence pure, / Sprung from the Deep, […]
1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 243–2452 more examples
For vvhat is ſilke but eu'n a Quinteſſence, / Made vvithout hands beyond al humane ſenſe? / A quinteſſence? nay vvel it may be call'd, / A deathleſſe tincture, ſent vs from the skies, / VVhoſe colour ſtands, vvhose gloſſe is ne're appalld, […]
1599, T[homas] M[offett], The Silkewormes, and Their Flies: […], London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Nicholas Ling, […], →OCLC, pages 67–68Dickie, a one-man entertainment empire, was at least as significant as those humanitarian titans he brought to life on screen. He was also the quintessence of kindness and modesty, and it was a privilege to have known and worked with him
2014 August 26, “Richard Attenborough: tributes paid to 'the quintessence of kindness'”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 25 Apr 2021Synonyms: bowels, sum, brass tacks, core, crux, essence, gist, drift
- countableuncountablenatural sciencesA hypothetical form of dark energy postulated to explain observations of an accelerating universe.
present singular third person quintessences · participle present quintessencing · participle past quintessenced · past quintessenced
- transitiveTo reduce to its purest and most concentrated essence.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA thing that is the most perfect example of its type; the most perfect embodiment of something; epitome, prototype.
nounA pure substance.
nounThe essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form.
nounThe fifth alchemical element, or essence, after earth, air, fire, and water that fills the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe fifth and highest element after air and earth and fire and water; was believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Medieval Latinquinta essentia“fifth essence, aether”
- Englishquintessence
PIE word *pénkʷe From Middle English, borrowed from Middle French, from Medieval Latin quinta essentia (“fifth essence, aether”), equivalent to quint- + essence. "Essence" in this context is a synonym for "element". In pre-atomic/Aristotelian theory, there are four known elements or essences — Earth, Air, Fire and Water — and a putative fifth element (aether), which is considered to be of exceptional superior quality to the other four basic elements.
More words from Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 精粹, 典範 /典范
- 精粹 (jīngcuì)most perfect example of its type
- 典範 /典范 (diǎnfàn)most perfect example of its type
- 精髓 (jīngsuǐ)essence in its most pure and concentrated form
Danish kvintessens
- kvintessensmost perfect example of its type
Dutch kwintessens, kwintessens
- kwintessensmost perfect example of its type
- kwintessenspure substance
- essentieessence in its most pure and concentrated form
- kwintessensessence in its most pure and concentrated form
Finnish perikuva, ruumiillistuma
- perikuvamost perfect example of its type
- ruumiillistumamost perfect example of its type
- puhdas ainepure substance
- syvin olemusessence in its most pure and concentrated form
- kvintessenssiphysics: hypothetical form of dark energy
French quintessence
- quintessencemost perfect example of its type
German Inbegriff, Quintessenz
- Inbegriffmost perfect example of its type
- Quintessenzmost perfect example of its type
Greek πεμπτουσία, πεμπτουσία
- πεμπτουσία (pemptousía)most perfect example of its type
- πεμπτουσία (pemptousía)pure substance
- πεμπτουσία (pemptousía)essence in its most pure and concentrated form
Hindi शुद्ध, खरा
- शुद्ध (śuddh)pure substance
- खरा (kharā)pure substance
Italian quintessenza
- quintessenzamost perfect example of its type
Lithuanian kvintesencija
- kvintesencijamost perfect example of its type
Māori tino
- tinoessence in its most pure and concentrated form
Persian نمونهٔ اعلی
- نمونهٔ اعلی (nemune-ye a'lâ)most perfect example of its type
Polish kwintesencja
- kwintesencjamost perfect example of its type
Portuguese quintessência
- quintessênciamost perfect example of its type
Russian квинтэссе́нция
- квинтэссе́нция (kvintessɛ́ncija)most perfect example of its type
Spanish quintaesencia, quintaescenciar
- quintaesenciamost perfect example of its type
- quintaescenciarTranslations
Swedish kvintessens
- kvintessensmost perfect example of its type
Turkish en mükemmel örnek
- en mükemmel örnekmost perfect example of its type
Yiddish תּמצית, עיקר
- תּמצית (tamtses)most perfect example of its type
- עיקר (iker)most perfect example of its type
- קווינטעסענץ (kvintesents)most perfect example of its type
Cite this entry
quintessence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quintessence
“quintessence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quintessence. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quintessence,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quintessence.
Source: quintessence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.