existential

[eg-zi-sten-shuhl, ek-si-]

adjective

1. of or relating to existence.

   Does climate change pose an existential threat to humanity?

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of philosophical existentialism; concerned with the nature of human existence as determined by the individual's freely made choices.

existential

/ ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to existence, esp human existence

2. philosophy pertaining to what exists, and is thus known by experience rather than reason; empirical as opposed to theoretical

3. logic denoting or relating to a formula or proposition asserting the existence of at least one object fulfilling a given condition; containing an existential quantifier

4. of or relating to existentialism

noun

1. 1. an existential statement or formula

   2. short for existential quantifier

Other Word Forms

• existentially adverb
• nonexistential adjective
• nonexistentially adverb
• unexistential adjective
• unexistentially adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of existential¹

First recorded in 1685–95, existential is from the Late Latin word existentiālis “relating to existing”; existence, -al ¹

Example Sentences

Speakers framed the stakes of the ballot measure as nothing short of existential — not just for Democratic interests, but also for democracy.

From Los Angeles Times

“Even with such a seemingly irreproachable mission, this corporation has come under fire many times, facing it’s first existential threat a mere two years after its inception in 1969,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

“This was an existential threat to the Sheriff’s Department, but it was of their own making because of what they did.”

From Los Angeles Times

Brown is sanguine about AI’s potential; he is not inclined to join the dystopian camp that regards it as an existential threat.

From Los Angeles Times

"The monastery's property is being seized and expropriated. This spiritual beacon of Orthodoxy and Hellenism is now facing an existential threat," he said in a statement.

From BBC

Related Words

• experiential 

When To Use

What does existential mean?

Existential is an adjective meaning “relating to existence,” but what does that even mean? What does anything mean? What is our purpose in the universe? These are existential questions.Existential is often used in relation to existentialism, a philosophical movement that suggests that existence (life, the universe, and everything) has no meaning except for the meaning that individuals create for themselves. Existential is also often used to describe a scenario in which someone or something’s very existence or being is threatened or in question, especially in phrases like existential threat. Example: Though unlikely, an asteroid strike would be an existential threat to the planet.