quintessences
Most perfect examples
Quintessences is the plural of quintessence, the purest or most essential form of something: These buildings are the quintessences of modernist architecture.
The word derives from a fifth element beyond earth, air, fire, and water that ancient philosophers believed permeated all things.
The plural is uncommon—quintessence usually appears as a singular abstraction.
Rarefied upper atmospheres
- elixirsCurative liquid preparations
- philosopher's stonesMythical alchemical transformation agents
- transmutationsChanges into different forms
- refinementsIncremental quality upgrades
distillates · extracts · tinctures · sublimations · purifications · concentrations · spirits · vital forces
States of being faultless
- idealsStandards of perfection
- archetypesUniversal symbolic patterns
- absolutesUnconditional, unqualified things
- distillationsPurified concentrated substances
embodiments · paradigms · exemplars · epitomes · refinements · abstractions · universals · aethers
Ultimate representations of types
- paragonsPerfect examples of something
- embodimentsConcrete representations of abstractions
- personificationsAttributing humanity to abstractions
- idealizationsMentally perfected representations
models · standards · benchmarks · representations · manifestations · crystallizations · hallmarks · classics
aethers
Rarefied upper atmospheres
- elixirsCurative liquid preparations
- philosopher's stonesMythical alchemical transformation agents
- transmutationsChanges into different forms
refinements · distillates · extracts · tinctures · sublimations · purifications · concentrations · spirits · vital forces · sulfurs
perfections
States of being faultless
- idealsStandards of perfection
- archetypesUniversal symbolic patterns
- absolutesUnconditional, unqualified things
distillations · embodiments · paradigms · exemplars · epitomes · refinements · abstractions · universals · aethers · souls
epitomes
Ultimate representations of types
- paragonsPerfect examples of something
- embodimentsConcrete representations of abstractions
- personificationsAttributing humanity to abstractions
idealizations · models · standards · benchmarks · representations · manifestations · crystallizations · hallmarks · classics · prototypes
quintessencesimperfections
Deviations from the ideal
aberrations · corruptions · degradations · perversions · distortions
quintessencessuperficialities
Shallow, unimportant matters
externalities · accidents · incidentals · nonessentials · accidentals
quintessencesdilutions
Weakened liquid mixtures
adulterations · impurities · dregs · dross · sediments