existence

The word “existence” means the fact or state of being real or of occurring. In plain terms, the state of being real, or the way someone lives their life.

“Existence” is pronounced ehg-ZIHS-tuhns (/ɛɡˈzɪs.təns/ in IPA).

Here is “existence” used in a sentence: “The existence of the ancient city was confirmed by satellite imagery.”

Words with a similar meaning to “existence” include being, beinghood, beingness, hereness, dasein and subsistence.

The opposite of “existence” — its antonyms — are nonexistence, nothingness and inexistence.

“Existence” is a noun.

The word “existence” comes from Latin. From Old French existence, ultimately from Latin existere, "to come into being" — built from ex- ("out") plus sistere ("to stand").

“Existence” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Existence is the plain fact that something is real or occurs, that it is there at all. Being is a more abstract, philosophical idea concerning the nature of what exists. You might say a rock has existence, while questions about being ask what it means for anything to exist in the first place.

The direct opposite is nonexistence, the state of not being real or not occurring. Related ideas include nothingness, absence, and oblivion. Where existence means that something is present in reality, its opposite covers everything that never was, has ceased to be, or exists only in the imagination.

Existence sits at the heart of metaphysics, the branch of philosophy that asks what is real and why anything exists at all. Thinkers have long debated the existence of the self, the universe, and a higher power. These questions shape how we understand reality, meaning, and our own place within it.