entity
Americannoun
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something that has a real existence; thing.
corporeal entities.
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being or existence, especially when considered as distinct, independent, or self-contained.
He conceived of society as composed of particular entities requiring special treatment.
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essential nature.
The entity of justice is universality.
noun
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something having real or distinct existence; a thing, esp when considered as independent of other things
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existence or being
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the essence or real nature
Other Word Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing entity
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Vocabulary to Describe Literary Devices
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10 Tricky Words From 8th Grade Vocabulary Experts
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“GameStop, acting under its authority as a Neutral Entity and The World’s Retail Gaming & Trade-in Destination, hereby declares the official cessation of the console wars,” GameStop said.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 27, 2025
What we need is a new type of research organization with tax advantages and the ability to incur losses—call it a Basic Research Entity, or BRE.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 19, 2025
AI continues to evolve onscreen — for every Entity threatening the end of civilization in “Dead Reckoning,” there’s a M3GAN 2.0 ready to come to our aid with an eye roll.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2025
Some months after the events of 2023’s “Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One,” the all-knowing, oracular artificial intelligence program called the Entity has all but taken the world into its digital grasp.
From Salon • May 24, 2025
The Essence of the Divine Entity and the Unseen of the unseen is holy above imagination and is beyond thought.
From Japan Will Turn Ablaze! by Sims, Barbara R. (Barbara Rutledge)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
