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  

/ 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

Discovery, and the family will become controlling owners of the merged entity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

No longer a distant or abstract entity, he now felt inextricably linked to his followers and their reactions to his work.

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

During all this time, his reputation grew, his wartime leadership immortalised in murals around Republika Srpska -- the Serbian entity within Bosnia.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

The money was ultimately sent to an entity Walter controlled, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

There is no one, no entity or higher form that she can appeal to, or be reconciled with, or that can forgive her.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

The saga kicked off in April 2025 when Jeremy Ford claimed his father was incapacitated, triggering a clause that would allow him to buy out his father’s interest in the family entities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

“This is a responsible step forward and moves us toward a more stable and sustainable framework, and we urge all public entities seeking reform to accept this solution now,” Nicchitta said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

They divide Bosnia into two entities, the Serb Republika Srpska and the Muslim Croat Federation of Bosnia, each enjoying a large degree of autonomy and united by weak central institutions.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

The tax would start small — perhaps just 1% on the revenues, deductions and assets passed between entities — but would compound with every duplicative layer of ownership.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

The Cherokee confederacy was thus formed not by conquest but by the amalgamation of previously jealous smaller entities, which merged only when threatened with destruction by powerful external forces.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• body
• individual