Entity

An entity is a thing in the the universe that can be identified by its distinct properties (such as space time location).

• Context:
  • It can have an Entity Property.
  • It can range from being a Physical Entity to being an Abstract Entity.
  • It can range from being a Static Entity to being a Dynamic Entity.
  • It can range from being a Atomic Entity to being a Composite Entity (such as a system).
  • It can range from being a Persistent Entity to being a Transitory Entity.
  • It can be in a Causal Relation with another Entity.
  • It can be an Individual from a Domain.
  • It can range from being a Referent Entity (be referenced) to being a Referencing Entity (such as a word).
  • It can range from being a Named Entity to being an Unnamed Entity.
  • …
• Example:
  • Physical Entities, such as:
    • A specific person (e.g. Aristotle), a horse (e.g. "Bucephalus"), a book (e.g. the copy of "The Republic” that sat in Aristotle's library).
  • Abstract Entities, such as:
    • any Concept Class, such as people, horses, books.
    • The concept of a Bacteria, a Cellular Component (such as the “periplasm").
    • A Bibliographic Entity, such as a book and a citation.
    • A specific Time Period (e.g. February 20, 2007)
  • A specific Image, such as The Mona Lisa hanging in The Louvre.
  • Persistent Entities, such as: a specific Relational Database Table or Ontology Concept.
  • …
• Counter-Example(s):
  • A Relation such as go(subject, object). “eat(subject,object). “[Is-A]](subclass,superclass), and OPL(organism, protein, location).
• See: Concept Class, Named Entity, Event, Abstraction, Legal Fiction.

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References

2014

• (Wikipedia, 2014) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity Retrieved:2014-11-4.
  • An entity is something that exists in itself, actually or hypothetically. It need not be of material existence. In particular, abstractions and legal fictions are usually regarded as entities. In general, there is also no presumption that an entity is animate.

    Sometimes, the word entity is used in a general sense of a being, whether or not the referent has material existence, e.g., is often referred to as an entity with no corporeal form (non-physical entity), such as a language. It is also often used to refer to ghosts and other spirits.

    The word entitative is the adjective form of the noun entity. Something that is entitative is "considered as pure entity; abstracted from all circumstances", that is, regarded as entity alone, apart from attendant circumstances.

2009

• WordNet.
  • that which is perceived or known or inferred to have its own distinct existence (living or nonliving)
• Wiktionary http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/entity
  • That which has a distinct existence as an individual unit. Often used for organisations which have no physical form; An existent something that …

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