Definitions for existence
ɪgˈzɪs tənsex·is·tence

Princeton's WordNet(2.00 / 5 votes)Rate this definition:

1. being, beingness, existence(noun)

   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, macrocosm(noun)

   everything that exists anywhere

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

Wiktionary(2.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. existence(Noun)

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

   Most people doubt the existence of the Loch Ness monster.

   Etymology: From existence, from existentia.

2. existence(Noun)

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

   Etymology: From existence, from existentia.

Webster Dictionary(3.80 / 5 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Existence(noun)

   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

   Etymology: [Cf. F. existence.]

2. Existence(noun)

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

   Etymology: [Cf. F. existence.]

3. Existence(noun)

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

   Etymology: [Cf. F. existence.]

Freebase(5.00 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

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 Dictionary(1.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

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 Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. existence

   To exist.

   Existence is the reality of to exist.

   Submitted by MaryC on January 18, 2020  

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

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

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. The European Space Agency:

   The existence of such complex molecules in a comet, a relic of Solar System, imply that chemical processes at work during that time could have played a key role in fostering the formation of prebiotic material.

2. Friedrich Nietzsche:

   Existence really is an imperfect tense that never becomes a present.

3. Kosuke Morita:

   For over seven years we continued to search for data conclusively identifying element 113, but we just never saw another event. I was not prepared to give up, however, as I believed that one day, if we persevered, luck would fall upon us again, now that we have conclusively demonstrated the existence of element 113, we plan to look to the uncharted territory of element 119 and beyond.

4. Jeff Sessions:

   It is the policy of the Department of Justice that those who have recused themselves not state the details of [the recusal] or confirm the existence of an investigation, or the scope or nature of the investigation, so, I feel like by following the rules of the Department, which I am teaching all of our people to do, I cannot answer that question.

5. Ralph Waldo Emerson:

   Fate is nothing but the deeds committed in a prior state of existence.

Images & Illustrations of existence

Popularity rank by frequency of use