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

That decision could also open the floodgates, with schools using those entities to circumvent the cap. —Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026

Before the season even premiered on CBS, Bracco’s odds on the prediction market were over 80 percent, suggesting that insiders, either at the network, production company or some other entity involved in the show, sought to cash in on their inside knowledge. —Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2026

Whoopi Goldberg, whisperer to unknown paranormal entities and living conduit between our world and the ghostly realm, has once again confirmed to America that aliens are among us. —Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026

And that that was an unprecedented sort of entity, institution. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 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