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A.Word.A.Day--sine qua non

Pronunciation Sound Clip RealAudio

This week's theme: Latin terms in English

sine qua non (SY-nee kway NON)

noun: An indispensable condition; prerequisite.

[Latin sine qua non (without which not).]

"Of course, the mastery of language is not the sine qua non of competence in literacy. But ease in communication in the language shows how one's cognitive abilities have developed." Kenendy Buhere; Proposal to Split TSC Ill-Thought; The Kenya Times (Nairobi); Jan 19, 2007.

See more usage examples of sine qua non in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

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History is a vast early warning system. -Norman Cousins, editor and author (1915-1990)

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