What does quiddity mean?
Quiddity means the essence, nature, or distinctive character of a person, thing, or situation. It is especially useful when describing a quality that is difficult to capture through an ordinary description: a peculiar habit, an unusual atmosphere, or the subtle feature that gives something its identity. The word can also refer to an odd or puzzling feature, as in a story about the strange quiddities of a house. In philosophical and scholastic traditions, quiddity has the more technical sense of a thing’s “whatness,” meaning the reality or property that makes it what it is. Today, however, most speakers use it in a literary or semi-formal way to emphasise individuality and eccentricity. Its old-fashioned sound gives ordinary prose a distinctive tone, while its Latin origin links it to the fundamental question of what something is.
nounThe essential or distinctive character of a thing; also, a peculiar or puzzling feature that sets something apart.
- The essential or distinctive character of a person, thing, or situation.
- A peculiar, unusual, or puzzling feature.
- In philosophical and scholastic usage, the property of being what a thing is, sometimes called its “whatness.”
"It was the quiddity of her dry humour that made the evening memorable."
"The quiddity of the small seaside museum lies in its eccentric collection of ship models and local legends."
"For the philosopher, a thing’s quiddity is not merely what it looks like but the reality that makes it the thing it is."
The plural is uncommon but standard, especially when referring to several peculiar or distinctive features.
"Among the novel’s many quiddities were a clock that ran backwards and a garden that flowered only at night."
Quiddity comes from the Latin word for “what”: it is the peculiar “whatness” that makes a thing what it is.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of quiddity
Quiddity comes from Medieval Latin quidditas, meaning “whatness” or “the nature of what a thing is.” It was formed from Latin quid, meaning “what,” with the suffix -itas, a development associated with the formation of Latin abstract nouns such as qualitas and quantitas. English borrowed the word in the early 17th century, initially in philosophical contexts before it became associated with peculiar or remarkable qualities.
Related word forms
How quiddity is actually used
Quiddity is formal and somewhat literary. In contemporary writing it often suggests an unusual or puzzling distinctive quality, while in philosophical contexts it can refer more broadly to a thing’s underlying nature or essence. The plural is relatively uncommon.
Easily confused with quiddity
Quid is a Latin-derived term meaning “what” or “something,” whereas quiddity refers to a thing’s nature, essence, or distinctive feature.