Added 5 October 2026
existence
/ɛɡˈzɪs.təns/ noun
In Latin: exsistentia Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about existence at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
The state of being, existing, or occurring; beinghood.
In order to destroy evil, we must first acknowledge its existence.
- Empirical reality; the substance of the physical universe. (Dictionary of Philosophy; 1968)
Origin
From Middle English existence, from Old French existence, from Late Latin existentia (“existence”), from existēns, from existō, exsistō (“I am, I exist”), from ex (“out”) + sistere (“to set, place”) (related to stare (“to stand, to be stood”)), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti, from the root *steh₂- (“stand”). Cognate with Spanish existencia, French existence, German Existenz. Displaced native Old English understandennes (literally, "understanden-ness"). Morphologically exist + -ence.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)