Bestehendes

Bestehendes is a German term formed from the verb bestehen (to exist, to prevail, to consist) and used as an adjective or, in its capitalized noun form, as das Bestehende. As an adjective, bestehendes describes something that currently exists or is present, with the ending shaped by case, gender, and article. For example: das bestehende Recht (the existing law), bestehendes Problem (existing problem). In plural you typically see bestehende, as in bestehende Strukturen.

Linguistic usage and nuance: The word emphasizes actuality and continuity. It can refer to conditions, objects, or systems that are in place at the moment. Because it derives from bestehen, the sense can extend from mere existence to persistence or durability, depending on context. In everyday language, it is common in formal or descriptive prose to contrast what is bestehenden with what is planned, possible, or hypothetical.

Philosophical usage: In German-language philosophy, the capitalized form das Bestehende is often used to denote the realm of existing beings or the concrete reality that is. It serves to distinguish the actual world from the possible, the ideal, or the non-existent. In analytic and continental traditions, discussions of the Bestehende commonly arise in ontological or phenomenological inquiries into the nature of being, existence, and reality, sometimes in contrast to what has not yet come into being or what could only be imagined.

See also: bestehen, Sein, Ontologie, Existenz, Seiende. Be mindful that bestehendes can function as a regular attributive adjective, while das Bestehende is the common nounized form used in philosophical contexts.