VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

existence

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ɪɡˈzɪstəns/
US/ɪɡˈzɪstəns/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    The fact of being real or present in the world.

    Grammar: Often used with of or in: the existence of life, in existence.

    Patterns

    • the existence of something
    • come into existence
    • in existence

    Scientists are looking for proof of the existence of water on that planet.

    Nobody knew about the existence of the secret door.

    The company came into existence in 1998.

  2. nounsingular

    A way of living, especially in hard or difficult conditions.

    Grammar: Usually with an adjective that describes the life: a lonely existence.

    Patterns

    • a lonely existence
    • lead an existence
    • eke out an existence

    They led a quiet existence in the country.

    Many refugees struggle through a miserable existence in the camps.

    He eked out a meager existence selling fruit.

  3. noununcountableformal

    The state of being alive, the whole of life as experienced by people.

    Grammar: Often used in philosophy and general talk: human existence.

    Patterns

    • human existence
    • the meaning of existence

    Philosophers have long argued about the meaning of human existence.

    The artist wanted to capture the fragility of existence.

    Everyday existence became harder after the storm.

Word forms

pluralexistences

Common combinations

come into existence
The town came into existence around the old mill.
in existence
Only three copies of the book are in existence.
deny the existence of
The company denied the existence of any problem.
human existence
Water is essential to human existence.
eke out an existence
The family eked out an existence on a small farm.
existence of life
They studied the existence of life in deep oceans.

Synonyms and how they differ

being
Being is more abstract and philosophical, often used for a living creature or the state of existing.
life
Life covers the experience of living, while existence stresses the bare fact of being there.
reality
Reality means what is actually true, while existence means simply being present.
survival
Survival adds the idea of struggling to stay alive, which existence does not always have.

Opposites

nonexistenceabsence

Word family

exist verb
to be real or alive
existent adjective
actually present or real
nonexistent adjective
not real or not present
existing adjective
currently present or in use
existential adjective
relating to existence, especially in philosophy

Commonly confused: existence or existent? existence or existential?

existence vs existent

Existent is the adjective, and existence is the noun for the fact of being.

existence vs existential

Existential means relating to existence in a deep or philosophical way, not just the fact of existing.

Practice

Archaeologists found proof of the ____ of a village beneath the lake.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “existence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words