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Origin and history of existence

existence(n.)

late 14c., "reality," from Old French existence, from Medieval Latin existentia/exsistentia, from existentem/exsistentem (nominative existens/exsistens) "existent," present participle of Latin existere/exsistere "stand forth, come out, emerge; appear, be visible, come to light; arise, be produced; turn into," and, as a secondary meaning, "exist, be;" from ex "forth" (see ex-) + sistere "cause to stand," from PIE *si-st-, reduplicated form of root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm."

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to existence

coexistence(n.)

also co-existence, mid-15c., "joint existence;" see co- + existence. As "peaceful relations between states of different ideologies," 1954, a Cold War term. Related: Coexistent.

exist(v.)

"to have actual being of any kind, actually be at a certain moment or throughout a certain period of time," c. 1600, from French exister (17c.), from Latin existere/exsistere "to step out, stand forth, emerge, appear; exist, be" (see existence). "The late appearance of the word is remarkable" [OED]. Middle English often used ibēn, ibeon (based on be) for "to exist." Related: Existed; existing.

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universe
1580s, "the whole world, cosmos, the totality of existing things," from Old French univers (12c.), from Latin universum "all things, everybody, all people, the whole world," noun use of neuter of adjective universus "all together, all in one, whole, entire, relating to all," lite
creation
late 14c., creacioun, "action of creating or causing to exist," also "a created thing, that which is created," from Old French creacion "creation, a coming into being" (14c., Modern French création), from Latin creationem (nominative creatio) "a creating, a producing," in classic
world
Old English woruld, worold "human existence, the affairs of life," also "a long period of time," also "the human race, mankind, humanity," a word peculiar to Germanic languages (cognates: Old Saxon werold, Old Frisian warld, Dutch wereld, Old Norse verold, Old High German weralt,
atheist
1570s, "godless person, one who denies the existence of a supreme, intelligent being to whom moral obligation is due," from...The existence of a world without God seems to me less absurd than the presence of a God, existing in all his perfection,...
relativity
1834, "fact or condition of being relative, existence as an immediate object of the understanding or experience, existence...
schadenfreude
it that any language should have a word expressive of the pleasure which men feel at the calamities of others; for the existence...of the word bears testimony to the existence of the thing....
Ethiop
the setting of the sun, both having imbrowned visages from their proximity to that luminary, and both leading a blissful existence..., because living amid a flood of light; and, as a natural concomitant of a blissful existence, blameless, and pure, and free...
actuality
late 14c., "power, efficacy," from Medieval Latin actualitatem (nominative actualitas), from Late Latin actualis "pertaining to action," from Latin actus "a doing" (from PIE root *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move"). A Latin loan-translation of Greek energeia "activity, acti
eternity
late 14c., "quality of being eternal," from Old French eternité "eternity, perpetuity" (12c.), from Latin aeternitatem (nominative aeternitas), from aeternus "enduring, permanent," contraction of aeviternus "of great age," from aevum "age" (from PIE root *aiw- "vital force, life;
presence
mid-14c., "fact of being present, state of being in a certain place and not some other," also "space before or around someone or something," from Old French presence (12c., Modern French présence), from Latin praesentia "a being present," from praesentem (see present (adj.)). Fro

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