Obs. [ad. med.L. existentia: see prec. and -ENCY.]
1. The fact or state of existing; continuance of being; = EXISTENCE 2.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., III. xiii. 137. It … may be doubted whether it be of existency, or really any such stone in the head of a Toad at all.
1654. S. Ashe, Fun. Serm., 10 March, 25 The existency of Christ in Believers giveth existence to their hopes of glory.
1677. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., I. v. 113. It is impossible that any Being can be eternal with … variety of states or manner of existency.
1683. Pordage, Myst. Div., 1. What is God in the primary Being of himself before the Globe of Eternity was in existency?
1708. H. Dodwell, Nat. Mortal. Human Souls, 5. Existency depending on the arbitrary Divine Pleasure.
b. A state or mode of being.
1710. Tatler, No. 246, ¶ 1. We stand in the middle of existencies [i.e., between angels and brutes].
2. Something that exists; a being, an entity; = EXISTENCE 4.
1628. T. Spencer, Logick, 202. A whole, sayth he, is twofold, viz. Vniversall; or a totall existency.
1631. Mabbe, Celestina, I. 5. See what difference there is betwixt apparencies, and existencies.
1691. E. Taylor, Behmen’s Theos. Philos., 338. Where lye innumerable multiplicity of Existencies or Beings.
1824. Westm. Rev., I. 480. By the greater intensity of sensations … we judge of real existencies.
b. A concrete form; a substance.
1651. W. G., trans. Cowel’s Inst., 235. And bodies Politick have not visible Existencies whereby they may be taken.
