ens noun. [ɛnz] Pl. entia ['ɛntɪǝ, 'ɛnʃɪǝ]. M16.
[Late Latin ens use as noun of pres. pple formed from esse be, on the supposed analogy of absens ABSENT adjective & noun, to translate Greek on use as noun of pres. pple of einai be.]
1. Philosophy etc. Something which has existence; a being, an entity, as opp. to an attribute or quality. M16.
ens necessarium [nɛkɛ'sɑ:rɪǝm, nɛsɛ'sɛ:rɪǝm] [mod. Latin = necessary being] a necessarily existent being; God. ens rationis [ratɪ'ǝʊnɪs, raʃɪ-], pl. entia rationis, [medieval Latin = being of the mind] an entity of reason; a being with no existence outside the mind. ens reale [reɪ'ɑ:li, rɪ'eɪli], pl. entia realia [-lɪǝ] [medieval Latin = real being] a being existing independently of any finite mind. ens realissimum [reɪǝ'lɪsɪmǝm, rɪǝ-] [mod. Latin] the most real being; God.

2. The essence; the essential part. L16-M18.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲