What does Quiddity mean?
Definitions for Quiddity
ˈkwɪd ɪ tiquid·di·ty
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Quiddity.
Princeton's WordNet
quibble, quiddity, cavilnoun
an evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections
quiddity, haecceitynoun
the essence that makes something the kind of thing it is and makes it different from any other
Wiktionary
quidditynoun
The essence or inherent nature of a person or thing.
quidditynoun
A trifle; a nicety or quibble
quidditynoun
An eccentricity; an odd feature
Etymology: From quiddité, and its source, quidditas, from quid + -itas.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Quidditynoun
Etymology: quidditas, low Latin.
He could reduce all things to acts,
And knew their natures and abstracts,
Where entity and quiddity,
The ghosts of defunct bodies fly. Hudibras, p. i.Misnomer in our laws, and other quiddities, I leave to the professors of law. William Camden, Remains.
Wikipedia
Quiddity
In scholastic philosophy, "quiddity" (; Latin: quidditas) was another term for the essence of an object, literally its "whatness" or "what it is".
ChatGPT
quiddity
Quiddity is a philosophical term that refers to the intrinsic nature, essence, or fundamental quality of a thing; often regarded as a thing's "whatness". It defines what a thing is at its core. The term originates from the Latin word "quidditas", which directly translates to "whatness".
Webster Dictionary
Quidditynoun
the essence, nature, or distinctive peculiarity, of a thing; that which answers the question, Quid est? or, What is it?
Quidditynoun
a trifling nicety; a cavil; a quibble
Etymology: [LL. quidditas, fr. L. quid what, neut. of quis who, akin to E. who: cf. F. quiddit.]
Wikidata
Quiddity
In scholastic philosophy, quiddity was another term for the essence of an object, literally its "whatness," or "what it is." The term derives from the Latin word "quidditas," which was used by the medieval scholastics as a literal translation of the equivalent term in Aristotle's Greek. It describes properties that a particular substance shares with others of its kind. The question "what is it?" asks for a general description by way of commonality. This is quiddity or "whatness". Quiddity was often contrasted by the scholastic philosophers with the haecceity or "thisness" of an item, which was supposed to be a positive characteristic of an individual that caused them to be this individual, and no other. It is used in this sense in British poet George Herbert's eponymous poem, "Quiddity."
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Quiddity
kwid′i-ti, n. the essence of anything: any trifling nicety: a cavil: a captious question.—adjs. Quidd′ative, Quidd′itātive. [Low L. quidditas—L. quid, what.]
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of Quiddity in Chaldean Numerology is: 4
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of Quiddity in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1
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Translations for Quiddity
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"Quiddity." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 5 Jan. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Quiddity>.
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