NSW Selective & Scholarship
Quintessence
noun/kwin-tes-uhns/
the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.
In contextHe considered the painting the quintessence of the artist's work.
Remember it
QUINT (fifth) + ESSENCE: the ancient 'fifth element', the purest form — the perfect example.
Use it well
Use with 'of': 'the quintessence of good sportsmanship' — formal, great for essays about ideal examples.