Quiddity
[KWID-ə-dee]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Latin, 14th century
1.
The inherent nature or essence of someone or something.
2.
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.