quiddity

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 20, 2026 is: quiddity \KWID-uh-tee\ noun Quiddity refers to the essence of a thing—that is, whatever makes something the type of thing that it is. Quiddity can also refer to a small and usually trivial complaint or criticism, or to a quirk or [eccentricity](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eccentricity) in someone's behavior. // The novelist’s genius was her unparalleled ability to capture the quiddity of the Maine seacoast in simple prose. // He portrayed the character's quirks and quiddities with tender playfulness. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quiddity) Examples: “When I was gathering my [odes](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ode) into a book—or rather, piling up my effusions in prose and verse and trying to work out which ones were odes and which weren’t—my friend Carlo gave me a magical concept. He called it ‘the odeness.’ It’s the essential quality, quiddity, … uniqueness of whatever you’re trying to write about. It’s what your ode is attempting to first identify and then celebrate. It’s the odeness of your ode.” — James Parker, The Atlantic, 30 Sept. 2025 Did you know? When it comes to synonyms of quiddity, the [Q](https://bit.ly/4b3NF90)’s have it. Consider [quintessence](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quintessence), a synonym of the “essence of a thing” meaning of quiddity, and [quibble](https://bit.ly/3KYqimT), a synonym of the “trifling point” use. And let’s not forget about [quirk](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quirk): like quiddity, quirk can refer to a person’s [eccentricities](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eccentricity). Of course, quiddity also comes from a “Q” word, the Latin pronoun quis, which is one of two Latin words for “who” (the other is qui). Quid, the [neuter](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neuter) form of quis, led to the Medieval Latin quidditas, which means “essence,” a term that was essential to the development of the English word quiddity.