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

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

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Unilever and its shareholders will receive shares equating to 65% of the new entity.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

British officials accused Ansari of financially supporting Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, the paramilitary group that protects the regime and serves as its dominant political and economic entity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Human knowledge is not a discrete entity like a file on a computer.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

His childhood was full of them; his very body was an empty hall echoing with sonorous defeated names; he was not a being, an entity, he was a commonwealth.

From "Absalom, Absalom!" by William Faulkner

Related Words

• body
• individual