quiddity

noun

ˈkwi-də-tē How to pronounce quiddity (audio)
Definition of quidditynext
1
as in trick
an odd or peculiar habit for all of her quiddities, she is a very wise and generous lady

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quiddity 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quiddity
  1. trick
  2. essence
  3. trait
  4. substance
  5. characteristic
  6. nature
  7. idiosyncrasy
  8. singularity
Noun
  • Is there a celebrity chain where people share tips and tricks?
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Fox Nation is pulling a new trick, using artificial intelligence to bring legendary illusionist Harry Houdini back from the dead.
    — Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of trick
Noun
  • But Williams, with her trademark video diaries, has distilled a vision of contemporary New York to its purest essence.
    — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
  • One wants to know her stories, but more than that one wants to know her essence.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of essence
Noun
  • Rather than exclusively focusing on what’s wrong with our mental health, one approach is to develop skills, traits, and perspectives that can help us.
    — Joan M. Cook, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Each of these traits exist to make working together possible.
    — Zaharia-Gabriel Sidere, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of trait
Noun
  • Pappas has also supported strict limits on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are synthetic chemicals that can be found in an array of consumer products, including clothing, shampoo, electronics, and cleaning products.
    — Maydeen Merino, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Discovery of the substance immediately made Tak Sumaya, an assistant professor who helped identify it in the coffee maker water, suspicious.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of substance
Noun
  • Those characteristics can be particularly relevant to fashion distribution, where seasonal peaks, promotional periods and e-commerce demand can put intense pressure on fulfillment operations.
    — Josh McMorrow, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Balls put in play with those characteristics are hits 84% of the time, per the league's Statcast page.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of characteristic
Noun
  • In North Georgia’s mountains, autumn already is transforming ridges, forests and streambanks into dazzling palettes of reds, yellows, maroons and deep oranges — all part of nature’s annual leaf color spectacle.
    — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • As nature trades its summer greens for a rich tapestry of amber, rust, burgundy, and gold, our wardrobes are following suit—and with all manner of vibrant, textured, statement-making accessories piled on top.
    — Ciarra Lorren Zatorski, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of nature
Noun
  • Nina Simone’s definition of freedom, in the early 1970s, as the absence of fear, and Gaye’s license to express oneself, down to every last funky idiosyncrasy.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • With exceptional performances from the entire cast and homages to musical legends like Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson, Bioh and White present a reflection of the Black female experience in all of its dazzling idiosyncrasies, triumphs and pains.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of idiosyncrasy
Noun
  • The singularity and relatedness of a thing are not in conflict but are mutually entwined.
    — Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Ongoing industry consolidation was a key talking point, with independent eyewear makers doubling down on consumer-facing initiatives and high-end product to knock home their singularity.
    — Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of singularity

Browse Nearby Words

quiddities
quiddity
quidnunc
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Quiddity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quiddity. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All