Definition of existence
1a obsolete : reality as opposed to appearanceb : reality as presented in experiencec (1) : the totality of existent things (2) : a particular being all the fair existences of heaven — John Keatsd : sentient or living being : life
2a : the state or fact of having being especially independently of human consciousness and as contrasted with nonexistence the existence of other worldsb : the manner of being that is common to every mode of beingc : being with respect to a limiting condition or under a particular aspect
3 : actual or present occurrence existence of a state of war
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Examples of existence in a Sentence
She began to doubt the existence of God.
the existence of UFO's is something that people continue to argue about
Recent Examples of existence from the Web
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SDG&E proposes using the new pipeline to relieve pressure on a 30-inch pipeline that runs in a north-south direction near Interstate 5 and replace a 16-inch pipeline that runs along the Interstate 15 corridor and has been in existence since 1949.
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Yet many of us look at the future and see the prospect of a sterile, lonely institutionalized existence looking back at us.
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Jim and Maryann O’Neill moved from Philadelphia to a section of Stafford Township, New Jersey, in 1994 for a quiet existence near the water.
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The country’s civil war has assisted the militants in one of their main objectives of creating a more seamless existence with local tribal groups.
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The Chicago Tribune (http://trib.in/2qq5JBl ) reported the existence of the contest a day after the department released a report reviewing its actions leading up to the death of 1-year-old Semaj Crosby.
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Here, where both land and life are flat, the privations of rural teenage existence yield wild and elemental bewitchments.
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When Wayne Rowe started to work at Quality of Life Health Services on April 2, 1982, the company had two clinics in Gadsden and had only been in existence for five years.
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Cassini may be near the end of its existence, but the NASA spacecraft is still delivering a wealth of scientific information.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'existence'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of existence
15th century
EXISTENCE Defined for Kids
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See words that rhyme with existence Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for existence Spanish Central: Translation of existence Nglish: Translation of existence for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of existence for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about existence
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