ˈentəd.ē, -ətē, -i noun
( -es )
Etymology: Medieval Latin entitas, from Latin ent-, ens (irregular present participle of esse to be) + -itat-, -itas -ity — more at is
1.
a. : being , existence ; especially : independent, separate, or self-contained existence
seeking to preserve their entity and individuality
successfully maintain their tribal entity
the policy of the government of the United States is to seek … to preserve Chinese territorial and administrative entity — G.F.Kennan
b.
(1) : the existence of something as contrasted with its attributes or properties
(2) : the essence, fundamental nature, or real being of something
for some philosophers, actual entities are the ultimate facts of reality
2. : something that has objective or physical reality and distinctness of being and character : something that has independent or separate existence : something that has a unitary and self-contained character
whether the common cold is an entity has been debated — Year Book of Medical
my thoughts were chiefly occupied with the idea of the train, that luxurious complete entity — Arnold Bennett
the individual churches are considered independent and autonomous entities — Current Biography
sees Germany as a unified state, an entity rather than a regional confederation — New York Times
3. : an abstraction, ideal conception, object of thought, or transcendental object : subsistent
such entities as love, reason, and beauty
such entities as numbers, particularized relations, and chimeras are classified as subsistent but not existent — R.J.Butler