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quiddity

   Also found in: Wikipedia 0.03 sec.
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.

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

quiddity
Noun
pl -ties
1. the essential nature of something
2. a petty or trifling distinction [Latin quid what]

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
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.quiddity - an evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections
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
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"

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