1
as in trick
an odd or peculiar habit
for all of her quiddities, she is a very wise and generous lady
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2
as in essence
the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is
Rembrandt's genius was his unparalleled ability to render a person's quiddity in a single portrait
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Recent Examples of quiddity
Or: The matter of their mattering is what’s put into contention, as their material quiddity serves as a means for activating a dynamic contrast with the space around them.
—
Travis Jeppesen, Artforum, 19 Aug. 2024
The task was to find the spiritual quiddity of God’s gifts in nature, piece by piece, and to assemble them into a divine whole.
—Zachary Fine, The New Yorker, 28 June 2024
Not élan, quiddity.
—Solmaz Sharif, Harper's Magazine, 25 May 2021
Teffi bids us to accept the mystery of this strange business of life in all its delightful quiddity.
—Sara Wheeler, WSJ, 23 Apr. 2021
None of these quiddities has much to do with efficient military training.
—Steele Brand, Time, 20 Sep. 2019
Our skulls are like space helmets; we are trapped in our heads, unable to convey the quiddity of our sensations.
—Jason Pontin, WIRED, 16 Apr. 2018
But not even there, Lawrence thought, could Cézanne entirely overcome convention—Hortense still being somewhat of an image as opposed to sheer quiddity.
—Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2011
Travis Jeppesen, Artforum, 19 Aug. 2024
The task was to find the spiritual quiddity of God’s gifts in nature, piece by piece, and to assemble them into a divine whole.
—Zachary Fine, The New Yorker, 28 June 2024
Not élan, quiddity.
—Solmaz Sharif, Harper's Magazine, 25 May 2021
Teffi bids us to accept the mystery of this strange business of life in all its delightful quiddity.
—Sara Wheeler, WSJ, 23 Apr. 2021
None of these quiddities has much to do with efficient military training.
—Steele Brand, Time, 20 Sep. 2019
Our skulls are like space helmets; we are trapped in our heads, unable to convey the quiddity of our sensations.
—Jason Pontin, WIRED, 16 Apr. 2018
But not even there, Lawrence thought, could Cézanne entirely overcome convention—Hortense still being somewhat of an image as opposed to sheer quiddity.
—Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2011
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quiddity
Noun
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The company, which sells hot and iced coffee, tea, shakes, as well as burritos and tacos, also hosts classes to teach dogs tricks.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Dimbleby’s age, far from a liability, feels like a magic trick—rare is the podcast host in 2025 who can casually weave socioeconomics together with personal memories of the Second World War.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Pretty much, Orji’s focus for the live format isn’t to recreate what’s been done before, but making the experience her own while staying true to the essence of the show.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Accompanied by sweeping string arrangements and powerful blaring horns, the song encapsulates the essence of modern mariachi while staying rooted in its timeless traditions.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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While the natural traits and intellect of Gates and Allen were crucial for Microsoft’s eventual success, so too was their willingness to learn from an early failure and apply themselves in a new venture.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Bill Snellings Self-reliance is a cherished American trait, and men in particular embrace it.—
Ashley Milne-Tyte,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But the same things that prevent parents from maintaining employment or housing — especially substance abuse and mental illness — often inhibit them from engaging in services, while also diminishing their ability to protect and care for their children.—
Emily Putnam-Hornstein and Naomi Schaefer Riley,
Twin Cities,
13 Apr. 2025
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Within the compulsively readable and entertaining pages of all her stories, Weiner loads complex issues that resonate in women’s lives – body image and weight shaming; motherhood and infertility; infidelity; addiction and substance abuse, just to name a few.—
Samantha Dunn,
Oc Register,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This is highly specific work that depends on each plantation's unique characteristics, including location, soil type, and coffee variety.—
Christopher Marquis,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Both dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide, which are part of the same chemical group, have overlapping characteristics, which is why the results can’t definitively differentiate between the two molecules, but future observations might, the study authors said.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
States rely on, and benefit from, the expertise and bipartisan nature of the FTC to protect their consumers.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Featuring a 130-foot-wide (39.3m) mirror, the ELT will study the universe in visible light to provide a more detailed view of potentially habitable exoplanets, the formation of the first galaxies, supermassive black holes, and the nature of dark matter and dark energy.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Japan has some idiosyncrasies about its business culture that make faxing essential, such as the use of a personal seal or hanko, which is used in place of a personal signature, as well as the high value assigned to documents.—
Tamsin Gable,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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In other fields, support specialists identify high-maintenance clients (for example, mechanics understand machine idiosyncrasies, and legal analysts learn which regulations require extra scrutiny).—
Rajesh Rajagopalan,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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At that moment, a person who loves Broadway theater and adores its creativity and singularity surely was justified throwing up their hands in capitulation to the phenomenally successful streaming service whose stock has been rising even as the rest of Wall Street is in the tank.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
23 Apr. 2025
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In the last few years, physicists have been revisiting the chaos around singularities with new mathematical tools.—
Lyndie Chiou,
Wired News,
20 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quiddity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quiddity. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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