# entity

/ˈɛntəti/ (US) · /ˈɛntɪti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/entity
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a separate unit or organisation

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

something that exists as a single, separate unit, especially an organisation or business.

For teachers: an independent unit with a distinct existence, often used to describe a legal or commercial organisation.

- The two companies merged to form a single legal entity.
- The subsidiary was treated as a separate legal entity for tax purposes, shielding the parent company from direct liability.

Usage: Often used with adjectives like 'legal', 'political', or 'commercial'.

### 2. computing/data

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a single item or object that a computer database stores information about.

For teachers: a discrete object or concept about which data is stored in an information system.

- In this database, each customer is treated as a unique entity.
- The system architect defined 'Product' as a primary entity, ensuring that every inventory item could be tracked via a unique identifier.

### 3. existence

noun · CEFR C2 · Academic · Literary

the state of existing or being real.

For teachers: the state or quality of existence as a distinct being.

- Philosophers have long debated the nature of human entity.
- The poet explores the fragile nature of our entity in a world that seems increasingly indifferent to individual life.

### 4. supernatural being

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a spirit or ghost that has its own personality or power.

For teachers: a non-physical or supernatural being, such as a spirit or ghost.

- The investigators claimed they felt a strange entity in the old house.
- The folklore of the region describes a malevolent entity that haunts the woods, though modern scholars view these stories as purely symbolic.

## Examples

- The two companies merged into a single legal entity.
- The court ruled that the subsidiary was a separate entity from its parent corporation and therefore not liable for the debt.
- In this philosophical framework, the mind is treated as a non-physical entity that interacts with the body through complex biological mechanisms.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.