Word of the day: Quiddity

Quiddity

[KWID-ə-dee]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 14th century

The inherent nature or essence of someone or something.

A distinctive feature; a peculiarity.

Examples of quiddity in a sentence

"Her love of singing is as much a quiddity as her brown hair is."

"My brothers share the quiddity of a preference for dipping their fries into their milkshakes."

About Quiddity

Quiddity is a Middle English word, but originally developed in Latin from the words "quidditas" and "quid" (which both mean "what").

Did you Know?

Taking a personality test today might mean completing a career assessment or seeing if you share a particular quiddity with a friend. Personality tests as we know them today were created during WWI, when psychologists were trying to assess the mental hardiness of U.S. Army recruits.