Definitions for Existence
ɪgˈzɪs tənsex·is·tence

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:2.0 / 5 votes

1. being, beingness, existencenoun

   the state or fact of existing

   "a point of view gradually coming into being"; "laws in existence for centuries"

2. universe, existence, creation, world, cosmos, macrocosmnoun

   everything that exists anywhere

   "they study the evolution of the universe"; "the biggest tree in existence"

WiktionaryRate this definition:2.5 / 2 votes

1. existencenoun

   The state of being, existing, or occurring; beinghood.

   Most people doubt the existence of the Loch Ness monster.

2. existencenoun

   empirical reality; the substance of the physical universe Dictionary of Philosophy; 1968

3. Etymology: From existence, from existentia.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Existence, Existencynoun

   State of being; actual possession of being.

   Etymology: existentia, low Latin.

   Nor is only the existency of this animal considerable, but many things delivered thereof. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours, b. iii.

   It is impossible any being can be eternal with successive eternal physical changes, or variety of states or manner of existency, naturally and necessarily concomitant unto it. Matthew Hale.

   The soul, secur’d in her existence, smiles
   At the drawn dagger, and defies its point. Joseph Addison, Cato.

   When a being is considered as possible, it is said to have an essence or nature: such were all things before the creation. When it is considered as actual, then it is said to have existence also. Isaac Watts, Logick.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. existence

   Existence refers to the state or fact of being real or living, having presence in reality or actuality. It can also denote the ability or capacity to continue living or being. Existence is often used in philosophical discussions to contemplate the nature of life, conscious experience, or the universe as a whole.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:3.8 / 5 votes

1. Existencenoun

   the state of existing or being; actual possession of being; continuance in being; as, the existence of body and of soul in union; the separate existence of the soul; immortal existence

2. Existencenoun

   continued or repeated manifestation; occurrence, as of events of any kind; as, the existence of a calamity or of a state of war

3. Existencenoun

   that which exists; a being; a creature; an entity; as, living existences

4. Etymology: [Cf. F. existence.]

FreebaseRate this definition:5.0 / 5 votes

1. Existence

   Existence has been variously defined by sources. In common usage, it is the world one is aware or conscious of through one's senses, and that persists independently in one's absence. Other definitions describe it as everything that 'is', or more simply, everything. Some define it to be everything that most people believe in. Aristotle relates the concept to causality. Ontology is the philosophical study of the nature of being, existence or reality in general, as well as of the basic categories of being and their relations. Traditionally listed as a part of the major branch of philosophy known as metaphysics, ontology deals with questions concerning what entities exist or can be said to exist, and how such entities can be grouped, related within a hierarchy, and subdivided according to similarities and differences. A lively debate continues about the existence of God. Epistemology studies criteria of truth, defining "primary truths" inherently accepted in the investigation of knowledge. The first is existence. It is inherent in every analysis. Its self-evident, a priori nature cannot be consistently doubted, since a person objecting to existence according to some standard of proof must implicitly accept the standard's existence as a premise.

The Roycroft DictionaryRate this definition:1.0 / 2 votes

1. existence

   1. A metaphysical term which originally meant joy, but which since the beginning of the Christian era has come to mean pain. 2. To be (used only in the phrase "to be damned"). 3. Merely to live, without eating or drinking. (In London, Paris and New York, this phenomenon is quite common.)

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. existence

   To exist.

   Existence is the reality of to exist.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on January 18, 2020  

Matched Categories

1. • Natural Object

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Existence' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1534

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Existence' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4203

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Existence' in Nouns Frequency: #713

How to pronounce Existence?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Existence in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Existence in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Existence in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of Existence in a Sentence

1. Benjamin Netanyahu:

   In coming weeks, the powers are liable to reach a framework agreement with Iran, an agreement liable to leave Iran as a nuclear threshold state, something that would chiefly imperil the existence of the State of Israel, as prime minister of Israel, I am obligated to make every effort to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weaponry that will be aimed at the State of Israel. This effort is global and I will go anywhere I am invited to make the State of Israel's case and defend its future and existence.

2. Christopher Conselice:

   Our new research suggests that searches for extraterrestrial intelligent civilizations not only reveals the existence of how life forms, but also gives us clues for how long our own civilization will last, if we find that intelligent life is common then this would reveal that our civilization could exist for much longer than a few hundred years, alternatively if we find that there are no active civilizations in our Galaxy it is a bad sign for our own long-term existence. By searching for extraterrestrial intelligent life — even if we find nothing — we are discovering our own future and fate.

3. Frederick Buechner:

   It is as impossible for man to demonstrate the existence of God as it would be for even Sherlock Holmes to demonstrate the existence of Arthur Conan Doyle.

4. Edgar Allan Poe:

   It is by no means an irrational fancy that, in a future existence, we shall look upon what we think our present existence, as a dream.

5. Charles Robert Darwin:

   The assumed instinctive belief in God has been used by many persons as an argument for His existence. But this is a rash argument, as we should thus be compelled to believe in the existence of cruel and malignant spirits, only a little more powerful than man for the belief in them is far more general than in a beneficent Diety.

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