quintessential
adj.representing the most perfect or typical example of something. You use this word when a person or place has all the classic features you expect it to have.
adj.representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.
“He is the quintessential gentleman, always polite and well-dressed.”
“With its cobblestone streets and cozy pubs, the town serves as the quintessential destination for a quiet weekend getaway.”
“The novel's protagonist is the quintessential antihero, possessing a deeply flawed moral compass yet remaining compelling enough to retain the reader's sympathy throughout the narrative.”
Generally non-gradable, describing an absolute state of being the ultimate embodiment of a category.
“A judge rules the brothers are a 'quintessential flight risk' due to their wealth and frequent international travel.”
“Composed of the interlocking stories of four women, Chiamaka (“Chia”), Zikora, Omelogor and Kadiatou, it is also quintessential Adichie: ambitious, astute and powered by an accumulation of feather-light sentences that build to devastating weight.”
PIE word *pénkʷe From quintessence + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.