Question

sine qua non Good planning is the sine qua non of a successful dinner party. saɪn kwɑ nɑn

Accepted Answer

An essential thing. Sine qua non can be translated literally as “Without which, not.” Though this may sound like gibberish, it means more or less “Without (something), (something else) won't be possible.” Sine qua non sounds slightly literary, and it shouldn't be used just anywhere. But it actually shows up in many contexts, including business (“A solid customer base is the sine qua non to success”), show business (“A good agent is a sine qua non for an actor's career”), and politics (“His support was really the sine qua non for her candidacy”)

word	sine qua non
definition	An essential thing.
eg_sentence	Good planning is the sine qua non of a successful dinner party.
explanation	Sine qua non can be translated literally as “Without which, not.” Though this may sound like gibberish, it means more or less “Without (something), (something else) won't be possible.” Sine qua non sounds slightly literary, and it shouldn't be used just anywhere. But it actually shows up in many contexts, including business (“A solid customer base is the sine qua non to success”), show business (“A good agent is a sine qua non for an actor's career”), and politics (“His support was really the sine qua non for her candidacy”)
IPA	saɪn kwɑ nɑn

Sine Qua Good Business Essential Thing Planning Successful