entity
- 01 C1 Advanced
something that exists as a single, separate unit, especially an organisation or business.
an independent unit with a distinct existence, often used to describe a legal or commercial organisation.
Simple“The two companies merged to form a single legal entity.”
In context“The subsidiary was treated as a separate legal entity for tax purposes, shielding the parent company from direct liability.”
UsageOften used with adjectives like 'legal', 'political', or 'commercial'.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
a single item or object that a computer database stores information about.
a discrete object or concept about which data is stored in an information system.
Simple“In this database, each customer is treated as a unique entity.”
In context“The system architect defined 'Product' as a primary entity, ensuring that every inventory item could be tracked via a unique identifier.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
the state of existing or being real.
the state or quality of existence as a distinct being.
Simple“Philosophers have long debated the nature of human entity.”
In context“The poet explores the fragile nature of our entity in a world that seems increasingly indifferent to individual life.”
Antonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
a spirit or ghost that has its own personality or power.
a non-physical or supernatural being, such as a spirit or ghost.
Simple“The investigators claimed they felt a strange entity in the old house.”
In context“The folklore of the region describes a malevolent entity that haunts the woods, though modern scholars view these stories as purely symbolic.”
Usage distinct entity · independent entity · new entity
“The system is run by the National Payments Corporation of India, a non-profit entity, with banks and technology companies providing the consumer-facing services.”
“There are thought to be more phages on Earth than any other type of biological entity, and they have spent billions of years evolving ways to find bacteria, invade them and overcome their defenses.”
From the Medieval Latin entitās, from ēns (“being”) (stem: ent-) + -tās (compare essentia), see there for more information.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.