existential

Syllables: ex·is·tent·i·al/ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃl̩//ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛn(t)ʃəl/

existential adjective: of or relating to existence. Also the ellipsis of existential clause.

Adjective

existential (comparative more existential, superlative most existential)

Of or relating to existence.
- The third univerſal is appetite; every perfect and imperfect living creature acquires ſuſtenance to eate and drink. For exiſtential or ſenſual, I grant many, that there is a Sun that ſhineth, that the fire heateth, &c. yet a blind man and the Paralytick denies both.1656, [attributed to Philip King], The Surfeit. To A B C, London: […] Edw[ard] Dod […], →OCLC, §. 4, page 33
- [T]he essential cause of fiendish guilt, when it makes itself existential and peripheric— […] I find the only explanation of a moral phænomenon not very uncommon in the last moments of condemned felons—viz. the obstinate denial, not of the main guilt, which might be accounted for by ordinary...1818, S[amuel] T[aylor] Coleridge, “Essay II”, in The Friend: A Series of Essays, […] to Aid in the Formation of Fixed Principles in Politics, Morals, and Religion, with Literary Amusements...
Antonyms:

nonexistential
1. Concerning the very existence of something, especially with regard to evading extinction.
  - an existential risk or threat
  - [Karl] Jaspers' main concern has been with existential dread, which he regards not as a symptom of mental illness, but as a result of rejecting religious faith. He proposes that man's only way out of existential dread is through a "leap into faith" which reconciles man with himself and with God...1977, Joan E. Sieber, “Development of the Concept of Anxiety”, in Joan E. Sieber; Harold F. O’Neil, Jr.; Sigmund Tobias, Anxiety, Learning, and Instruction, New York, N.Y.; Abingdon, Oxfordshire...
2. Of an assertion, etc.: assuming or suggesting the existence of something.
  - In recent books on logic, distinction is made between two orders of inquiry concerning anything. First, what is the nature of it? how did it come about? what is its constitution, origin, and history? And second, What is its importance, meaning, or significance, now that it is once here? The answer...1902, William James, “Lecture I”, in The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature […] , New York, N.Y.; London: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 4
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.1967, Thomas [Louis] Hanna, “Albert Camus: Man in Revolt”, in George Alfred Schrader, Jr., editor, Existential Philosophers: Kierkegaard to Merleau-Ponty, New York, N.Y.; St. Louis, Mo.: McGraw-Hill...
Antonyms:

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

Also used as

existential is also the ellipsis of existential clause.

existential is also the ellipsis of existential type.

existential meaning in Arabic, Malay and Indonesian

existential in Arabic

of or relating to existence: وُجُودِيّ wujūdiyy

existential in Malay

of or relating to existence: eksistensial
of or relating to existentialism: eksistensial

existential in Indonesian

of or relating to existence: eksistensial, eksistensiil
of or relating to existentialism: eksistensial, eksistensiil

Examples of existential in a sentence

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.2014 March 3, Benedict Carey, “LSD, reconsidered for therapy”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN...
[Karl] Jaspers' main concern has been with existential dread, which he regards not as a symptom of mental illness, but as a result of rejecting religious faith.1977, Joan E. Sieber, “Development of the Concept of Anxiety”, in Joan E. Sieber; Harold F. O’Neil, Jr.; Sigmund Tobias, Anxiety, Learning...
Here, therefore, we seek to assemble and assess the evidence to provide an overview of how serious trade is as an existential threat to avian taxa in Sundaic Indonesia.2015, J[ames] A. Eaton [et al.], “Trade-driven Extinctions and Near-extinctions of Avian Taxa in Sundaic Indonesia”, in Forktail: Journal...
To [Elon] Musk, his vast fortune is a mere side effect of his ability not just to see but to do things others cannot, in arenas where the stakes are existential.2021 December 13, Molly Ball, Jeffrey Kluger, Alejandro de la Garza, “Elon Musk: Person of the Year 2021”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time...

All 40 example sentences with existential

Antonyms of existential

Forms of existential

Adjective
comparative	more existential
superlative	most existential
Noun
plural	existentials

Origin of existential

The adjective is a learned borrowing from Late Latin existentiālis, exsistentiālis (“coming into or relating to existence”) + English -al (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives; and forming nouns of verbal action). Existentiālis, exsistentiālis 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.

Words formed from existential

Phrases with existential

Words that rhyme with existential

Questions about existential

What does existential mean?: Existential means of or relating to existence.
What is existential in Arabic?: Existential in Arabic is وُجُودِيّ (wujūdiyy). See Existential meaning in Arabic.
How do you use existential in a sentence?: 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.
What part of speech is existential?: Existential is an adjective.
How do you pronounce existential?: Existential is pronounced /ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃl̩/ (UK).

Words near existential in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: existential (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

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Cite this entry: “existential.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/existential. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.