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# existential

adjective (existential)

«existential» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Existential means to do with existence, especially the big questions about why we exist and what life means. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/existential/#m1)
2. An existential threat or danger is one that could end something completely, such as a species, a country or the world. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/existential/#m2)
3. (informal) An «existential crisis» is a time when someone worries deeply about the meaning of their life, often used jokingly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/existential/#m3)

### In the lessons

In philosophy and big-questions lessons, existential questions are «Why am I here?» and «What is the point of life?». In the news, climate change or a war may be called an existential threat. Young people sometimes joke about having an existential crisis over small things. Phrases: «existential questions», «existential threat», «existential crisis».

### Examples

- Asking «Why do we exist?» is an existential question. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/existential/#x1)
- Some scientists call climate change an existential threat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/existential/#x2)
- My brother had an existential crisis when he turned eighteen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/existential/#x3)
- Losing its forest is an existential danger for the orangutan. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/existential/#x4)
- Philosophers have argued about existential ideas for centuries. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/existential/#x5)
- «I'm having an existential crisis about which cereal to choose,» joked Mum. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/existential/#x6)

### Note

Formal word. Related: exist, existence; existentialism (a philosophy of the 1900s). In grammar, «there is / there are» is called an existential sentence.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «existential» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/existential/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«existential» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/existential.html) on Mova free.