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ex·is·ten·tial

(ĕg′zĭ-stĕnshəl, ĕk′sĭ-)

adj.

1. Of, relating to, or dealing with existence.

2. Based on experience; empirical.

3. Of or as conceived by existentialism or existentialists: an existential moment of choice.

4. Linguistics Of or relating to a construction or part of a construction that indicates existence, as the words there is in the sentence There is a cat on the mat.

n.
Linguistics

An existential word or construction.

ex′is·tential·ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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