entity

American  

[en-ti-tee] / ˈɛn tɪ ti /

noun

plural

entities

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• entitative adjective
• entitatively adverb

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”; essence ( def. ) ) + -tās -ty ²

Example Sentences

“Not an unbounded and unlimited entity with high degrees of autonomy – but AI that is carefully calibrated, contextualized, within limits.”

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

"It is sort of a unique entity and I guess that the people that set it up have felt that they don't have the the financial resources to subsidise the club."

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

TikTok then struck a deal to create a new U.S. entity to avoid a ban.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

A few minutes’ drive from Ansari’s Kensington apartments, a boutique London hotel called the Gainsborough Hotel sold for £6.5 million in 2018 to an entity controlled by Salim Ahmed Said, according to U.K. property records.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

If we were to speed the rotation, we would see that the Galaxy is a dynamic, almost organic entity, in some ways resembling a multi-cellular organism.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• body
• individual