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

• 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

History of Goudstikker’s collection Between 1933 and 1945, German troops and Nazi agents seized or forced the sale of approximately one-fifth of all Western art that was in existence, totaling nearly 650,000 art pieces, von Saher's attorney said in court records obtained by USA TODAY. —Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025

This may sound like science fiction, but the convergence of large language models (LLMs), brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and cognitive neuroscience suggests a very real future where developers could literally think their apps into existence. —Somdip Dey, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Survival is presented as a never-ending war to ensure the country’s future existence; there is no alternative. —Uriel Kon september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025

While the existence of two types of SEE was known, Solar Orbiter’s proximity to the Sun allowed researchers to make an unprecedented connection. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 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