(in ancient and medieval philosophy) the fifth essence or element, ether, supposed to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies, the others being air, fire, earth, and water.
Origin of quintessence
1400–50; Middle English <Medieval Latin quīnta essentia fifth essence
That, America, is the quintessence of naturally occurring British-cute.
UK’s No 1 Churchman Doubts Existence of God: The Archbishop of Canterbury Thinks Deep When Running With His Dog|Tim Teeman|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The actor is the quintessence of smooth, first as Remington Steele, then James Bond.
Pierce Brosnan’s Life After Bond: From Action Hero to Losing His Daughter to Cancer|Tim Teeman|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In recent years, Stoner entered a category of which it soon became the quintessence.
Famous for Not Being Famous: Enough About ‘Stoner’|Drew Smith|October 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Yes, Holmes was the quintessence of the Victorian rationalism, “the most perfect and reasoning machine that the world had seen.”
How Sherlock Holmes Took on the Capitalists|Ian Klaus|December 21, 2011|DAILY BEAST
“Innocence is the quintessence of the snapshot,” Lisette Model would write.
Robert Frank's America|Philip Gefter|September 17, 2009|DAILY BEAST
What a sense of comical responsibility and mischief there is in his face, the quintessence, so to speak, of puppydom.
Giotto|Harry Quilter
It is great painting in miniature, genius in its quintessence, a gem of perfect water.
Life of Charles Dickens|Frank Marzials
There, the objector submits, lies the quintessence of the matter.
Mankind in the Making|H. G. Wells
Perhaps nothing else than that special intensity of existence which is the quintessence of youthful aspirations.
The Shadow-Line|Joseph Conrad
But it is not a question of extracting a quintessence, or of fencing the soul of doctrine within a few summary formulae.
A New Philosophy: Henri Bergson|Edouard le Roy
British Dictionary definitions for quintessence
quintessence
/ (kwɪnˈtɛsəns) /
noun
the most typical representation of a quality, state, etc
an extract of a substance containing its principle in its most concentrated form
(in ancient and medieval philosophy) ether, the fifth and highest essence or element after earth, water, air, and fire, which was thought to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies and latent in all things
Word Origin for quintessence
C15: via French from Medieval Latin quinta essentia the fifth essence, translation of Greek pemptē ousia