quiddity

quid·di·ty  (kwd-t)

n. pl. quid·di·ties

1. The real nature of a thing; the essence.

2. A hairsplitting distinction; a quibble.

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[Medieval Latin quiddits, from Latin quid, what; see k^wo- in Indo-European roots.]

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quiddity

Noun

pl -ties

1. the essential nature of something

2. a petty or trifling distinction [Latin quid what]

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quiddity

the essential nature or quality of something that makes it different and distinct from other things and establishes its identity. — quidditative, adj.

See also: Philosophy

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	quiddity - an evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections cavil, quibble equivocation, evasion - a statement that is not literally false but that cleverly avoids an unpleasant truth
	2.	quiddity - the essence that makes something the kind of thing it is and makes it different from any other haecceity essence, heart and soul, inwardness, nitty-gritty, pith, substance, gist, kernel, nub, meat, core, sum, marrow, heart, center, centre - the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story"