as in must
something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable
an extensive grounding in mathematics is a sine qua non for a career in architecture
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Recent Examples of sine qua non
The image of Toyotas and Datsuns — soon rebranded as Nissans — went from quirky to sine qua non.
—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
The singing actors in opera do well to use that tool kit, too—but their sine qua non is the voice.
—
Matthew Gurewitsch,
Air Mail,
21 Feb. 2026
While not denying the parallels between Muggle and magical technologies, Oakes’s conclusions depend on ignoring magical people’s complete dependence on a wand—the indisputable sine qua non of reliable spellwork.
—
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
For those in Mnangagwa’s Lacoste faction, direct experience in the liberation war is a sine qua non for any successor candidate.
—
Philip Martin,
Foreign Affairs,
17 Nov. 2017
See All Example Sentences for sine qua non
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
The singing actors in opera do well to use that tool kit, too—but their sine qua non is the voice.
—
Matthew Gurewitsch,
Air Mail,
21 Feb. 2026
While not denying the parallels between Muggle and magical technologies, Oakes’s conclusions depend on ignoring magical people’s complete dependence on a wand—the indisputable sine qua non of reliable spellwork.
—
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
For those in Mnangagwa’s Lacoste faction, direct experience in the liberation war is a sine qua non for any successor candidate.
—
Philip Martin,
Foreign Affairs,
17 Nov. 2017
See All Example Sentences for sine qua non
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sine qua non
Noun
-
Shrimp and mussels are a must for her seafood paella, though the queen of home cooking has also used lobster in the past.
-
While breakfast and lunch are first-come, first-serve, for dinner a reservation is a must.
Noun
-
With low maintenance requirements and fast turnaround, Gripen provides an advanced and cost-effective fighter capability that is easy to operate and maintain, according to the company.
-
DAFs carry no legal payout requirement — the dollars are irrevocably committed to charity, but on no particular schedule.
Noun
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The structural design curtails the necessity for active safety mechanisms, electronic trip switches, or manual operator control interventions during an operational deviation.
-
These are films born out of creative necessity and a truly independent spirit.
Cite this Entry
“Sine qua non.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sine%20qua%20non. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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