1 existence | Definition of existence

existence

noun
ex·​is·​tence | \ ig-ˈzi-stÉ™n(t)s How to pronounce existence (audio) \

Definition of existence

1a : 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
3a(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

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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 on the Web

But that doesn’t explain how the mysterious green blob winked in and out of existence so quickly. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Astronomers Puzzle Over Short-Lived Glowing Green Light Bursts," 6 Sep. 2019 For a company that’s also developing its own digital currency and dabbling in e-commerce, love is another step toward reaching into all aspects of human existence. Barbara Ortutay, SFChronicle.com, "Friends with benefits: Can Facebook tackle your love life?," 6 Sep. 2019 For a company that’s also developing its own digital currency and dabbling in e-commerce, love is another step toward reaching into all aspects of human existence. Washington Post, "Friends with benefits: Can Facebook tackle your love life?," 5 Sep. 2019 For a company that’s also developing its own digital currency and dabbling in e-commerce, love is another step toward reaching into all aspects of human existence. Barbara Ortutay, Los Angeles Times, "Going from like to love: Facebook online dating service launches in U.S.," 5 Sep. 2019 For a company that’s also developing its own digital currency and dabbling in e-commerce, love is another step toward reaching into all aspects of human existence. Barbara Ortutay, BostonGlobe.com, "Can Facebook tackle your love life, too?," 5 Sep. 2019 Change would mean destroying its own model, built on male privilege in the world of cinema and perfected over nearly 80 years of existence, operating like an exclusive club. Dina Iordanova, Quartz, "Only two of the directors featured at the Venice International Film Festival are women," 4 Sep. 2019 The ruinous failing of the ideologues who call themselves libertarians is their fanatic attachment to a simple solitary principle — that is, to the notion of personal freedom as the whole end of the civil social order, and indeed of human existence. John Hood, National Review, "New Nationalists Make Three Big Bets," 28 Aug. 2019 On Tuesday 27th August, at 23:07 BST, Bury FC blinked out of existence at a Football League entity. SI.com, "Bury FC Is Functionally Dead. What Next?," 28 Aug. 2019

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.

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First Known Use of existence

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

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More Definitions for existence

existence

noun

English Language Learners Definition of existence

: the fact of having actual being : the state of being real
: the state of continuing to be or to live
: a particular way of living

existence

noun
ex·​is·​tence | \ ig-ˈzi-stÉ™ns How to pronounce existence (audio) \

Kids Definition of existence

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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