existence

noun ex·is·tence \ ig-ˈzi-stən(t)s \

Definition of existence

1 a obsolete :reality as opposed to appearance

b :reality as presented in experience

c (1) :the totality of existent things

(2) :a particular being

all the fair existences of heaven
—John Keats

d :sentient or living being :life

2 a :the state or fact of having being especially independently of human consciousness and as contrasted with nonexistence

the existence of other worlds

b :the manner of being that is common to every mode of being

c :being with respect to a limiting condition or under a particular aspect

3 :actual or present occurrence

existence of a state of war

See existence defined for English-language learners

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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

To love and conform with American civilization is to find something attractive in a country whose greatness comes from the consequences of its existence, the principles of its constitution, and difficulty of its survival.

— j. j. mccullough, National Review, "I Love America (and the Alt-Right Doesn’t)," 28 Aug. 2017
This year marks TUF’s second summer festival and its third year in existence.

— jake uitti, The Seattle Times, "TUF FEST amplifies marginalized voices," 23 Aug. 2017
As ice dragons supposedly melt when slain, no actual proof of their existence has ever been found.

— joanna robinson, vanityfair.com, "Why Game of Thrones Fans Saw That Hideous Dragon Twist Coming," 20 Aug. 2017
Broiling will become a quintessential part of your kitchen existence.

— alex delany, Bon Appetit, "What Is a Broiler? And How Do You Maximize Its Crispy, Melty Potential?," 15 Aug. 2017
Years prior to Fourth Street Live's existence, vehicular traffic was blocked completely by the old Galleria, a shopping mall that was largely glass and sat in the middle of the street.

— phillip m. bailey, The Courier-Journal, "City allows Fourth Street Live to continually close block without permits," 7 Aug. 2017
But Blanton’s family in Harlan County had been living a scant existence.

— kristina goetz, The Courier-Journal, "Orphans come back to ‘The Home’ that took them in when no one else could," 20 July 2017
For most who still follow that burning desire to make a living out of their various basketball skill sets, that means carving an existence overseas, a prospect that, while much more glamorous than in past years, is still a tough life.

— matt giles, Longreads, "The Lonely Life of a Pro Basketball Player," 20 July 2017
For contrast, their Southern League rivals in Birmingham moved into two new stadiums during the Stars' existence in Huntsville.

— paul gattis, AL.com, "Mobile baseball team may be sold, Southern League president says," 19 July 2017

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 Synonyms

Synonyms

actuality, corporality, corporeality, reality, subsistence, thingness

Antonyms

inexistence, nonbeing, nonexistence, nothingness, unreality

Related Words

genuineness, realness; activity, animation, life; currency, presence, prevalence

Near Antonyms

absence, dearth, lack, want; potentiality, virtuality

EXISTENCE Defined for Kids

existence

noun ex·is·tence \ ig-ˈzi-stəns \

Definition of existence for Students

1 :the fact or the condition of being or of being real

The blue whale is the largest animal in existence.

2 :the state of being alive :life

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