entity

noun en·ti·ty \ ˈen-tə-tē , ˈe-nə- \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Examples: entity in a Sentence

Definition of entity

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

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See entity defined for kids

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 of entity from the Web

Charter schools are public schools operated by an outside entity such as a nonprofit.

— liz bowie, baltimoresun.com, "Proposed Baltimore County charter school takes application fight to state officials," 10 July 2018
Garces himself — who burst onto the Philadelphia restaurant scene in 2005 with Amada — will remain with the new entity as its chief culinary officer, the company said in a statement.

— michael klein, Philly.com, "Garces restaurant sale is approved; two will close this weekend," 10 July 2018
His bill, however, only mentions ministers and religious entities, not businesses.

— marilyn icsman, Cincinnati.com, "'Pastor Protection Act' passed by the Ohio House," 29 June 2018
This body, composed of volunteer commissioners from each city council district, acts as a privacy check on the city when any municipal entity (typically the police department) wants to acquire a technology that may impact individual privacy.

— cyrus farivar, Ars Technica, "Supreme Court surveillance opinion nudges us to think nationally, act locally," 24 June 2018
Schlemeier’s firm has a long list of lobbying clients in a range of industries, from pharmacies to stem cell research to government entities such as Kansas City.

— jason hancock, kansascity, "Who has the ear of Gov. Mike Parson? Meet his inner circle," 20 June 2018
The state prosecutor last week ordered dozens of civil servants to be prosecuted for alleged corruption after funds went missing from state entities such as the National Youth Service.

— ramah nyang, Bloomberg.com, "Big Four Spending Splurge Pushes Kenya to Bet on Tax Hikes," 31 May 2018
The Senate bill does not address fund-raising through entities such as the RGA or nonprofits.

— frank phillips, BostonGlobe.com, "There’s a bill that would rein in Charlie Baker’s fund-raising, but Democrats aren’t touching it," 30 May 2018
In the eastern Ukraine and future conflicts, governments, non-government entities such as Bellingcat, and even private individuals will have previously unheard of abilities to detect and analyze military activity.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Investigation: Russian Missile Brought Down MH17," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'entity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of entity

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1596

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

entity Synonyms

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

ENTITY Defined for English Language Learners

entity

noun

Definition of entity for English Language Learners

: something that exists by itself : something that is separate from other things

Medical Dictionary

entity

noun en·ti·ty \ ˈen(t)-ət-ē \

medical Definition of entity

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

Law Dictionary

entity

noun en·ti·ty \ ˈen-ti-tē \

legal Definition of entity

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