quintessential

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adjective

quin·​tes·​sen·​tial ˌkwin-tə-ˈsen(t)-shəl 

: perfectly typical or representative of a particular kind of person or thing

Jerry's your quintessential streetwise New Yorker …

—Kai Wright

This is the quintessential Los Angeles restaurant, casual but never frumpy, lively but not overheated …

—Harvey Steiman

Marx was the quintessential intellectual, remarkably detached from the real world.

—John Steele Gordon

: being a quintessence

His very faults were middling … It was not in his nature to be superlative in anything; unless, indeed, he was superlatively middling, the quintessential extract of mediocrity.

—George Eliot

quintessentially adverb

It is commonly accepted … that the rocking chair was an American invention, perhaps the most quintessentially American furniture form ever invented.

—Linda Rosenkrantz

There's no occupation more quintessentially macho than that of private detective.

—Cynthia Crossen

quintessential

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noun

plural quintessentials

: a quintessential element : something that is a typical part or pure example

—usually plural

The quintessentials—ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and mustard—that characterize classic American barbecue sauce can be found in this dish.

—Betty Rosbottom

The quintessentials of a culture become all the more noticeable and absorbing if they are perceived as in danger of disappearing or as an obstacle to progress that must disappear.

—Steve J. Stern

Did you know?

Quintessential and the Elements

The philosophers and scientists of the ancient world and the Middle Ages believed that the world we inhabit was entirely made up of four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Aristotle added a fifth element, the aether or ether, by which he meant the material that fills the rest of space, mostly invisibly but sometimes taking the form of stars and planets. Many writers described the element as a kind of invisible light or fire. In the Middle Ages, it was referred to as the quinta essentia ("fifth element"). It isn't surprising that the quinta essentia came to stand for anything so perfect that it seemed to surpass the limitations of earth. Today we generally use quintessential rather freely to describe just about anything that represents the best of its kind.

Synonyms

Adjective

• archetypal
• archetypical
• classic
• definitive
• exemplary
• imitable
• model
• paradigmatic
• textbook

Examples of quintessential in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Stephanie Russo The first big change was a controversial one: enclosing the atrium, a quintessential feature of Eichler homes. —Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 24 Apr. 2024

Fisher, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $3 billion, is the quintessential member of the Lucky Sperm Club, not to be indelicate. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024

Bar director Harrison Ginsberg oversees the cocktail program at this quintessential New York rooftop bar, with drinks that lean on classic ingredients elevated by innovative techniques. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024

These spots and the others on this list offer the same quintessential New England charm and fewer people to bump into while chowing down on your lobster roll. —Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024

Get the Recipe 04 of 80 Southern Living Bloody Mary Our take on a quintessential brunch sipper is positively bursting with flavor. —Zoe Denenberg, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2024

For better or worse, O.J. Simpson was a quintessential L.A. creation. —David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024

Already set with pieces of the Eiffel Tower, the medals for this summer’s Paris Olympics will now be infused with another quintessential feature of French life: strike action. —Alexander Smith, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024

To prepare for the role, Farrell re-familiarized himself with several quintessential film noirs, from ‘40s classics like The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon to ‘70s reimaginings like The Long Goodbye and Farewell, My Lovely. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2024

Noun

Strong, stout and substantial in size, the fossil species featured the same powerful legs, long feet and lengthy tail quintessential of kangaroos today. —Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 29 June 2022

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1551, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1853, in the meaning defined above