entity

American  

[en-ti-tee] / ˈɛn tɪ ti /

noun

entities plural

1. something that has a real existence; thing.

   corporeal entities.

2. being or existence, especially when considered as distinct, independent, or self-contained.

   He conceived of society as composed of particular entities requiring special treatment.

3. essential nature.

   The entity of justice is universality.

---

entity British  

/ ˈɛntɪtətɪv, ˈɛntɪtɪ /

noun

1. something having real or distinct existence; a thing, esp when considered as independent of other things

2. existence or being

3. the essence or real nature

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• entitative
  adjective
• entitatively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• entities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of entity

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Medieval Latin entitās, from enti-, stem of ēns “being” (present participle of esse “to be”; cf. essence ( def. )) + -tās -ty ²

Explanation

If your little sister turns her lemonade stand into a lemonade empire, she might incorporate it as a company. Under the law, it would be considered an entity, or a separate being for purposes of government control. The word entity originally meant "being, existence," and was borrowed from Medieval Latin entitas, from Latin ens, irregular form of esse "to be, exist." The suffix –ity means "quality or state." Medieval Christian philosophers, influenced by the Church Fathers and Aristotle, discussed the concept of ens "abstract being" versus esse "actual being."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

entity entities

As it travels, it effectively carries those neighboring particles with it, creating a combined entity called a Fermi polaron.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

Tesla’s “board may favor a premium to justify losing voting control, especially since Musk’s voting control of the combined entity could exceed 50%,” Narayan added.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

The founders themselves created a superindependent entity, the First Bank of the United States, which was completely free of presidential control, as was the Second Bank of the United States.

From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026

CoinEx said it doesn’t “provide services to any sanctioned entity or individual” and has “never knowingly provided any form of facilitation to any party after it was designated.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

But their domain had ceased to exist as an independent entity.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

The Treasury Department added that it has now imposed sanctions on over 200 individuals, entities and vessels operating under Shamkhani's patronage.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

The latest restrictions expand a broader EU sanctions regime that has already targeted individuals and entities accused of fuelling the conflict.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

“The question has not been tested as to whether political entities created with bipartisan balance might be subject to another exception.”

From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026

Officials are considering requiring labs to defer public releases and restrict access by certain tiers of users, such as foreign entities, if a review determines their products contain sensitive technology, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Non-human entities do not exist merely to provide for the needs of man.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Related Words

• body
• individual