existence
Americannoun
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the fact or state of existing; being
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the continuance or maintenance of life; living, esp in adverse circumstances
a struggle for existence
she has a wretched existence
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something that exists; a being or entity
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everything that exists, esp that is living
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of existence
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word ex(s)istentia. See exist, -ence
Explanation
Existence is the state of being alive or being real. For example, you and your best friend disagree about the existence of Bigfoot if you think it's real and your friend doesn't. The noun existence can be used many different ways, but it always has to do with being alive or with simply "being". You can talk about the survival of something as its existence, like your yo-yo club having lost so many members that its existence is in danger. The particular way you live is another meaning of existence; if you live a quiet, lonely life in the country, you could describe it as a solitary existence.
Vocabulary lists containing existence
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 1
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List 2
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List 1
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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.
See Examples For:
While laparoscopic surgery remains the only way to definitively prove the existence of endometriosis, medical consensus is now moving toward treating symptoms based on a clinical diagnosis rather than a surgical one.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
At first blush, the continued existence of the Ark Encounter and its host institution, the Creation Museum is confusing.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
"There have been so many painful things that have been spoken into existence over the last couple years," Baldoni said in a video this week.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
For decades, astronomers have searched for the universe's earliest quasars because they preserve valuable information about how the first galaxies and supermassive black holes came into existence.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
Does she really want to hear about her daughter’s deeply underwhelming and unhappy existence in school?
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
He would also elevate his competitors, giving them chances to introduce themselves to audiences that would otherwise remain ignorant of their existences.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2025
Sold as the ultimate work-life balance, the firm's brain microchip procedure splits a person's consciousness and memory into dual existences.
From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2025
We have given the keys to our once-private analog existences over to the wealthiest companies in human history.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2024
Which even the military ended because it called on gay people to deny or hide their existences.
From Seattle Times ● May 8, 2024
Did the birds’ insignificant little existences have any meaning at all?
From "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen
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.
