existence
noun OPAL WOPAL S
/ɪɡˈzɪstəns/
/ɪɡˈzɪstəns/
- [uncountable] the state or fact of being real or living or of being present
- I was unaware of his existence until today.
- to believe in the existence of God
- the mystery of human existence
- The continued existence of the industry depends on the investment of public money.
- The peasants depend on a good harvest for their very existence (= in order to continue to live).
- The mere existence of these strange creatures fascinated him.
- Some groups in the industry seek to deny the existence of a global warming problem.
- The school owed its existence to the generosity of one man.
- Internet shopping constitutes a threat to the existence of high-street shops.
- in existence The company has been in existence since 1924.
- This is the oldest Hebrew manuscript in existence.
- existence as something Pakistan came into existence as an independent country in 1947.
- The book acknowledges the existence of graffiti as an art form.
- Several species are in danger of being hunted out of existence.
- There was a fear that the club might go out of existence for lack of support.
Extra Examples- Christianity taught that our earthly existence was merely a preparation for life after death.
- Darwin viewed the struggle for existence as being the major promoter of evolution.
- Deep down I resented his existence.
- El Cid's actual existence is not in doubt.
- He claimed to be able to remember a previous existence.
- How do you explain the existence of closely related species in widely separated locations?
- Scientists were able to verify the existence of this particle.
- She questioned the existence of God.
- The company's existence depends on continued growth.
- The girl's parents continued to ignore her very existence.
- The idea has been in existence for centuries.
- There is research that strongly supports the existence of repressed memories.
- Throughout its entire existence, it has been a deeply contested concept.
- his yearning for a more meaningful existence
- the only instrument of its kind in existence
- to prove scientifically the existence or non-existence of ghosts
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- actual
- real
- possible
- …
- be in
- have
- come into
- …
- depend on something
- depend upon something
- in existence
- the struggle for existence
- [countable] a way of living, especially when this is difficult or boring
- The family endured a miserable existence in a cramped apartment.
- They eke out a precarious existence (= they have hardly enough money to live on).
- He lives a hand-to-mouth existence (= he has only enough money for basic needs such as food).
Extra Examples- We led a poor but happy enough existence as children.
- She had lived such a sheltered existence.
- a comfortable middle-class existence
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- bare
- hand-to-mouth
- meagre/meager
- …
- enjoy
- have
- lead
- …
- a mode of existence
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French, or from late Latin existentia, from Latin exsistere ‘come into being’, from ex- ‘out’ + sistere ‘take a stand’.