Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"an indispensable condition," Latin, literally "without which not," from sine "without" (see sans) + qua ablative fem. singular of qui "which" (see who) + non "not" (see non-). Feminine to agree with implied causa. The Latin phrase is common in Scholastic use. Sometimes a masculine form, sine quo non, is used when a person is intended. Proper plural is sine quibus non.
Wiktionary
n. An essential or indispensable element, condition, or ingredient.
n. (18th C–present) (alternative spelling of sine qua non English)
WordNet
n. a prerequisite [syn: essential condition]
Wikipedia
Sine qua non (; ) or condicio sine qua non (plural: condiciones sine quibus non) is an indispensable and essential action, condition, or ingredient. It was originally a Latin legal term for "[a condition] without which it could not be", or "but for..." or "without which [there is] nothing".
"Sine qua non" causation is the formal terminology for "but-for" causation.
Sine Qua Non (also known as SQN) is a California cult winery known for its Rhône style blends, a tendency to avoid repetition, and a very limited production of wine that is highly difficult to obtain, with 100% of all releases allocated and directly sold to a carefully managed mailing list. The mailing list has by some measures a five- to ten-year waiting list. The winery is located in Ventura County, within the Central Coast AVA.
The wines have been titled with names such as Queen of Spades, Twisted & Bent, Imposter McCoy, The Bride, Poker Face and Red Handed, and the bottles come uncommonly shaped with distinctive labels featuring Manfred Krankl's own artwork.
is a Latin phrase that refers to indispensable and essential action, condition, or ingredient.
Sine qua non may also refer to:
- "Sine Qua Non" (Battlestar Galactica), an episode of the sci-fi TV series Battlestar Galactica
- Sine Qua Non (wine), a California cult wine producer
- "Sinequanon", a song by Hybrid appearing on the 1999 album Wide Angle
"Sine Qua Non" is the tenth episode in the fourth season of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica. It first aired on television on May 27, 2008. The episode name is a Latin term (it translates as "[[Sine qua non|without which [there is] nothing]]") referring to something essential that cannot be done without. The survivor count shown in the title sequence is 39,674.
Usage examples of "sine qua non".
This state, not knowing what is going to happen next and therefore having no way of controlling it, is the sine qua non of the unhappy world of the schizophrenic.
For Rachmael, however, it had been psychologically devastating to watch the Omphalos blast out into the limitless darkness: Ferry had been right-the Omphalos had been the sine qua non of Applebaum Enterprise.
For Rachmael, however, it had been psychologically devastating to watch the Omphalos blast out into the limitless darkness: Ferry had been rightthe Omphalos had been the sine qua non of Applebaum Enterprise.