entity

noun

en·​ti·​ty ˈen-tə-tē 

ˈe-nə-

plural entities

1

a

: being, existence

especially : independent, separate, or self-contained existence

b

: the existence of a thing as contrasted with its attributes

2

: something that has separate and distinct existence and objective or conceptual reality

3

: an organization (such as a business or governmental unit) that has an identity separate from those of its members

Synonyms of entity

• object
• substance
• reality
• individual

Examples of entity in a Sentence

One division of the company was broken off as a separate entity.

the question of whether extrasensory perception will ever be a scientifically recognized entity

Recent Examples on the Web

Firms in the Program may receive threat information from other private entities and from federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies, and may propose operations to the NCC. — Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Veno is the executive director of the Group Insurance Commission, the entity that buys health care for more than 460,000 public employees and retirees in Massachusetts. — Bob Herman, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026

Another effective approach is to give a new entity a specific task that falls under the purview of an existing agency that is unable to perform it. — Jennifer Pahlka, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Lead entities like Public Health Solutions, which anchors our network, are knitting hundreds of CBOs into a unified system. — David Greenfield, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin entitas, from Latin ent-, ens existing thing, from coined present participle of esse to be — more at is

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing entity

• flow-through entity
• pass-through entity

Rhymes for entity

• identity
• nonentity

Kids Definition

entity

noun

en·​ti·​ty ˈent-ət-ē 

plural entities

: something existing or thought of as existing as a separate and independent thing

Medical Definition

entity

noun

en·​ti·​ty ˈen(t)-ət-ē 

plural entities

: something (as a disease or condition) that has separate and distinct existence and objective or conceptual reality

whether the common cold is an entity has been debated

—Year Book of Medicine

Legal Definition

entity

noun

en·​ti·​ty ˈen-ti-tē 

plural entities

: an organization (as a business or governmental unit) that has a legal identity which is separate from those of its members see also alter ego, instrumentality, juridical person, legal person, pierce