Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun quintessence

3 senses of quintessence

Sense 1
quintessence, ether -- (the fifth and highest element after air and earth and fire and water; was believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies)
       => element -- (one of four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the physical universe; "the alchemists believed that there were four elements")

Sense 2
quintessence -- (the purest and most concentrated essence of something)
       => kernel, substance, core, center, centre, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, pith, sum, nitty-gritty -- (the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story")

Sense 3
quintessence -- (the most typical example or representative of a type)
       => example, illustration, instance, representative -- (an item of information that is typical of a class or group; "this patient provides a typical example of the syndrome"; "there is an example on page 10")