In philosophy, particularly scholasticism, a being or entity; something that exists or has being.
From Latin ens (being, entity), the present participle of esse (to be). This philosophical term refers to the abstract concept of existence or being itself.
Medieval philosophers loved this word—it's the noun form of Latin 'to be,' so an 'ense' is literally 'a being.' It appears in dense philosophical texts arguing about the nature of existence, and studying it teaches us how abstract our language can become when we try to discuss pure being.
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