existence

[ig-zis-tuhns]

noun

1. the state or fact of existing; being.

2. continuance in being or life; life.

   a struggle for existence.

3. mode of existing.

   They were working for a better existence.

4. all that exists.

   Existence shows a universal order.

5. something that exists; entity; being.

existence

/ ɪɡˈzɪstəns /

noun

1. the fact or state of existing; being

2. the continuance or maintenance of life; living, esp in adverse circumstances

   a struggle for existence

   she has a wretched existence

3. something that exists; a being or entity

4. everything that exists, esp that is living

Other Word Forms

• postexistence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of existence¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word ex(s)istentia. See exist, -ence

Example Sentences

The series, now in its second season on Fox Nation, is the filmmaker’s effort to find relevance for everyday existence in human stories of sacrifice, heroism and faith that led to spiritual transcendence.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Raanan, a collector of Jewish artefacts, said he fell in love with the book before even seeing it, when an antiques dealer told him about its existence.

Read more on Barron's

Some sources have also invoked the existence of an unofficial truce between the jihadists and the government, explaining the calm felt in the capital.

Read more on Barron's

The love of ambiguity can feel somewhat coy—Ms. Tokarczuk gestures toward the existence of occult mysteries without deigning to fully portray them.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Black Friday sales seem to have come into existence in the 1980s, first as a novelty but then as a powerful tradition that has become deeply ingrained in the American psyche.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• continuation 
• presence 
• reality 
• survival 
• world