"thingness" meaning in English

See thingness in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: thingnesses [plural]
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *tenk-? Proto-Indo-European *tenkóm Proto-Germanic *þingą Proto-West Germanic *þing Old English þing Middle English thing English thing Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English thingness From thing + -ness. Etymology templates: {{ety|en|:af|thing|-ness|text=+|tree=1}} Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *tenk-? Proto-Indo-European *tenkóm Proto-Germanic *þingą Proto-West Germanic *þing Old English þing Middle English thing English thing Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English thingness [Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*þingą", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*þing", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "þing", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "thing", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "thing", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }, { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "-ness", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "-ness", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "-ness", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "-ness", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "denominative", "children" : [ ], "status" : "missing", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-inōną", "lang" : "gem-pro" }, { "id" : "-ness", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "verbal", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "verbal", "children" : [ ], "status" : "redlink", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*-dyé-", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-atjaną", "lang" : "gem-pro" }, { "id" : "nominative", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "action noun", "children" : [ ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*-tus", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-þuz", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-assuz", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-inassuz", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*-nassī", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "-nes", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "-nesse", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "-ness", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "thingness", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }" data-lang="en" data-title="thingness"> From thing + -ness. Head templates: {{en-noun|-|+}} thingness (usually uncountable, plural thingnesses)
  1. (philosophy) The quality of a material thing; objectivity; actuality; reality. Tags: uncountable, usually Related terms: thinghood

Inflected forms

{
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      "args": {
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        "2": ":af",
        "3": "thing",
        "4": "-ness",
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      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *tenk-?\nProto-Indo-European *tenkóm\nProto-Germanic *þingą\nProto-West Germanic *þing\nOld English þing\nMiddle English thing\nEnglish thing\nProto-Germanic *-inōną\nProto-Indo-European *-dyé-\nProto-Germanic *-atjaną\nProto-Indo-European *-tus\nProto-Germanic *-þuz\nProto-Germanic *-assuz\nProto-Germanic *-inassuz\nProto-West Germanic *-nassī\nOld English -nes\nMiddle English -nesse\nEnglish -ness\nEnglish thingness\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*þingą\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*þing\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"þing\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"thing\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"thing\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"denominative\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-inōną\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"verbal\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"verbal\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"redlink\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-dyé-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-atjaną\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"nominative\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"action noun\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-tus\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-þuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-assuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-inassuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-nassī\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-nes\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-nesse\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ness\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"thingness\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"thingness\">\nFrom thing + -ness.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
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  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *tenk-?\nProto-Indo-European *tenkóm\nProto-Germanic *þingą\nProto-West Germanic *þing\nOld English þing\nMiddle English thing\nEnglish thing\nProto-Germanic *-inōną\nProto-Indo-European *-dyé-\nProto-Germanic *-atjaną\nProto-Indo-European *-tus\nProto-Germanic *-þuz\nProto-Germanic *-assuz\nProto-Germanic *-inassuz\nProto-West Germanic *-nassī\nOld English -nes\nMiddle English -nesse\nEnglish -ness\nEnglish thingness\nFrom thing + -ness.",
  "forms": [
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      "form": "thingnesses",
      "tags": [
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  "head_templates": [
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      "expansion": "thingness (usually uncountable, plural thingnesses)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
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        {
          "text": "1994, Shadia B Drury, Alexandre Kojève http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0312120923&id=zQRKXLwDPc4C&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&sig=zR0NpFT9gF4Mo_VTIPTm1274piI\nTo live as a thing, to live for another and as the other expects, is to live unauthentically or in bad faith. To be true to oneself, one must reduce others to thingness and resist being so reduced."
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          "ref": "1998, William C Chittick, The Self-Disclosure of God:",
          "text": "Whether we dwell in the thingness of fixity or the thingness of wujūd, we are “at” the wujūd of the Real.",
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          "ref": "2002, Kai Hammermeister, The German Aesthetic Tradition:",
          "text": "The thingness of a thing precedes the conscious perception of its sensual properties.",
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        "The quality of a material thing; objectivity; actuality; reality."
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        "(philosophy) The quality of a material thing; objectivity; actuality; reality."
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      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *tenk-?\nProto-Indo-European *tenkóm\nProto-Germanic *þingą\nProto-West Germanic *þing\nOld English þing\nMiddle English thing\nEnglish thing\nProto-Germanic *-inōną\nProto-Indo-European *-dyé-\nProto-Germanic *-atjaną\nProto-Indo-European *-tus\nProto-Germanic *-þuz\nProto-Germanic *-assuz\nProto-Germanic *-inassuz\nProto-West Germanic *-nassī\nOld English -nes\nMiddle English -nesse\nEnglish -ness\nEnglish thingness\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*þingą\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*þing\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"þing\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"thing\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"thing\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"denominative\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-inōną\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"verbal\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"verbal\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"redlink\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-dyé-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-atjaną\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"nominative\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"action noun\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-tus\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-þuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-assuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-inassuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-nassī\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-nes\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-nesse\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ness\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"thingness\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"thingness\">\nFrom thing + -ness.",
      "name": "ety"
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  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *tenk-?\nProto-Indo-European *tenkóm\nProto-Germanic *þingą\nProto-West Germanic *þing\nOld English þing\nMiddle English thing\nEnglish thing\nProto-Germanic *-inōną\nProto-Indo-European *-dyé-\nProto-Germanic *-atjaną\nProto-Indo-European *-tus\nProto-Germanic *-þuz\nProto-Germanic *-assuz\nProto-Germanic *-inassuz\nProto-West Germanic *-nassī\nOld English -nes\nMiddle English -nesse\nEnglish -ness\nEnglish thingness\nFrom thing + -ness.",
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
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          "text": "1994, Shadia B Drury, Alexandre Kojève http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0312120923&id=zQRKXLwDPc4C&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&sig=zR0NpFT9gF4Mo_VTIPTm1274piI\nTo live as a thing, to live for another and as the other expects, is to live unauthentically or in bad faith. To be true to oneself, one must reduce others to thingness and resist being so reduced."
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        "The quality of a material thing; objectivity; actuality; reality."
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        "(philosophy) The quality of a material thing; objectivity; actuality; reality."
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  "word": "thingness"
}

Download raw JSONL data for thingness meaning in English (6.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-06-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-06-01 using wiktextract (ade7ec3 and 7f4db16). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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