entity

noun

en·ti·ty | \ ˈen-tə-tē

, ˈe-nə-\

plural entities

Definition of entity

1a : 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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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

Unfortunately, as addictive as these abilities are, this new entity inside her tears her apart, inside and out. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, "Spoilers! Why one pivotal X-Men scene in 'Dark Phoenix' almost broke Sophie Turner," 8 June 2019 But the defense attorneys argued the restaurants are entirely separate entities with separate hiring managers. — Janelle Bitker, SFChronicle.com, "Trial begins in Thomas Keller discrimination lawsuit," 3 June 2019 Companies such as Twitter and Facebook are private entities, and they — unlike the US government — do not owe their users First Amendment rights. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "Rudy Giuliani’s bizarre Twitter conspiracy theory, explained," 5 Dec. 2018 If the mission is successful, ispace could be the first private entity to place a craft around another celestial body other than the Earth, and then go on to make the first landing on another body's surface. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Japan's Team Missed the $30 Million XPRIZE—But Now They're Going to the Moon Anyway," 26 Sep. 2018 There is no all-controlling entity with a vision for what their center should be. — Elizabeth Wellington, Philly.com, "As our definition of luxury shifts, Walnut Street evolves with it | Elizabeth Wellington," 10 July 2018 Leaders show off $350M worth of busy site work The WDBA is a Canadian entity created to choose a consortium to build and operate the bridge. — John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press, "Canadian entity overseeing Gordie Howe bridge project gets a new CEO," 26 June 2018 But there is no more political entity that gets money from the city than the Health Gap. — Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati council members agreed on a budget. Here are the winners and losers.," 25 June 2018 Although Shenandoah was just the latest entity to pass the ordinance, two other cities in Montgomery County also opted to extend the period, in which the city’s legal teams can investigate the rate and propose changes. — Marialuisa Rincon, Houston Chronicle, "Shenandoah opts to delay Entergy base rate increase," 16 June 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.

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Dictionary Entries near entity

Statistics for entity

Last Updated

14 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for entity

The first known use of entity was in 1596

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More Definitions for entity

entity

noun

English Language Learners Definition of entity

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

See the full definition for entity in the English Language Learners Dictionary

entity

noun

en·ti·ty | \ ˈen(t)-ət-ē

plural entities

Medical Definition of entity

: 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

entity

noun

en·ti·ty | \ ˈen-ti-tē

plural entities

Legal Definition of entity

: 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