existenznotwendige

Existenznotwendige is a German adjective used in philosophy and related disciplines to denote properties, conditions, or predicates that are necessary for the existence of a thing within a given theoretical framework. The word fuses existenz ("existence") with notwendige ("necessary") and appears in forms such as existenznotwendige Eigenschaften (existence-necessary properties) or existenznotwendige Bedingungen (existence-necessary conditions). In English-language discussion the phrase is rarely used; the idea is usually rendered as "necessary for existence" or "ontological necessity" depending on context.

The term is typically distinguished from Wesensmerkmale (essential properties) by stressing existential prerequisites rather than inherent natures. Existenznotwendige properties are thus contingent on the theoretical or empirical framework in which the entity is considered; in some accounts a property can be existentially necessary in one theory but not in another. The concept relates to modal notions of necessity and to discussions of what must be the case for something to exist rather than what defines its essence.

Examples are highly theory-dependent. In a mathematical model, an object may be said to have existenznotwendige conditions if its existence hinges on accepting certain axioms. In science, a conservation law might be regarded as existenznotwendige for the existence of a stable closed system under specified conditions; without it the system could not exist as modeled.

Note that existenznotwendige is not a universally standardized term; its exact meaning and scope vary by author and discipline. It is often used as a descriptive label for existential prerequisites rather than as a formal ontological category.