existence

noun

ex·​is·​tence ig-ˈzi-stən(t)s 

1

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

2

: actual or present occurrence

existence of a state of war

3

a(1)

: the totality of existent things

(2)

: a particular being

… all the fair existences of heaven …

—John Keats

b

: sentient or living being : life

c

: reality as presented in experience

d

obsolete : reality as opposed to appearance

Synonyms of existence

• reality
• presence
• prevalence
• subsistence

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 on the Web

Although the posthumous project has no title or release date yet, its very existence represents a new chapter to come in the crooner’s legacy. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 11 Nov. 2025

The evil-doing in question is simple enough, at least for a franchise that has always been built around the existence of a clandestine organization of magicians (The Eye) who love using their skills to take down bad guys and quite literally share the wealth with their eager audiences. —Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025

In 1930s Scotland, a grieving teen defies his family and town by setting out to prove the existence of a mysterious creature, hoping to preserve the magic of his community and protect it from industrial ruin. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025

This claustral existence would seem to suit Tara; the novels distinguish her via her eye for detail, placing her in a coterie of alienated, observant female narrators who drift through recent fiction. —Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French existence, existance, borrowed from Late Latin existentia, exsistentia, noun derivative of existent-, existens/exsistent-, exsistens "having being, existent"

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3d

Phrases Containing existence

• come into existence
• go out of existence
• struggle for existence

Rhymes for existence

• assistance
• consistence
• desistance
• insistence
• persistence
• resistance
• subsistence
• coexistence
• nonexistence
• distance
• magnetoresistance

Kids Definition

existence

noun

ex·​ist·​ence

ig-ˈzis-tən(t)s

1

: the fact or the state of having being or of being real

the largest animal in existence

2

: the state of being alive : life

owed my existence to a doctor's skill