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existential

adj
/ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃl̩/UK/ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛn(t)ʃəl/CA

Etymology

The adjective is a learned borrowing from Late Latin existentialis, exsistentialis (“coming into or relating to existence”) + English -al (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives; and forming nouns of verbal action). Existentialis, exsistentialis are derived from Late Latin existentia, exsistentia (“existence”) + Latin -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship); and existentia, exsistentia from Latin existēns, exsistēns (“being, existing; appearing, emerging; becoming”) (the present active participle of existō, exsistō (“to be, exist; to appear, emerge; to become”), from ex- (prefix meaning ‘away; out’) + sistō (“to cause to stand; to place, set; to halt, stop”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand (up)”))) + -ia (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns). The noun is derived from the adjective.

  1. derived from *steh₂-✻ — “to stand (up)”
  2. derived from existēns
  3. derived from -ālis
  4. derived from existentia
  5. learned borrowing from existentialis

Definitions

  1. Of or relating to existence.

    • Most of the subjects had terminal cancer, and several died within a year after the trial—but not before having a mental adventure that appeared to have eased the existential gloom of their last days.

  2. Of or relating to existentialism (“a philosophical movement emphasizing the uniqueness of…

    Of or relating to existentialism (“a philosophical movement emphasizing the uniqueness of each human existence in freely making its self-defining choices”).

    • Some existential thinkers are concerned with artistic expression only indirectly, that is, they are passionately interested critics and analysts of art works.

  3. Relating to part of a clause that indicates existence (for example, there is).

  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. Ellipsis of existential clause (“a clause that indicates the existence of something”).

    2. Ellipsis of existential type (“in a type system

      Ellipsis of existential type (“in a type system: a type that hides the underlying concrete type(s)”).

The neighborhood

Derived

existential crisis, existential instantiation, existentialism, existentialist, existentialistic, existentialize, existentially, existential nihilism, existential quantifier, existential risk, nonexistential, singular existential statement

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for existential. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA