Entität

Entität is a term used in philosophy and information science to denote a thing that exists as a distinct unit within a given domain. In English, it is commonly translated as entity. The word is derived from Latin entitas (being) and entered German through scholarly usage to describe a being with a specific identity, independent of its current properties.

In philosophical contexts, Entität refers to the fundamental units that constitute reality. These may be concrete entities, such as physical objects, or abstract entities, such as numbers, sets, or propositions. A key concern is the criteria by which one entity is distinguished from another and how entities persist over time despite change in their properties. Mereology, identity, causation, and modality are typical topics connected to Entität.

In logic, ontology, and information science, the concept takes on a more formal role. An entity is a thing that can be referenced and related to other entities through relationships. In data modeling and ontology engineering, entities often have attributes and are identified by a unique key. The entity-relationship model, for example, represents real-world things as entities connected by relationships, facilitating structured data storage and reasoning.

Entität can also refer to objects in programming and systems design, where an entity may denote an object or component with state and behavior. In business and social contexts, entities describe organizations, projects, or other distinguishable units.

See also: ontology, entity-relationship model, first-order logic, object.