egence
English
Etymology
From Latin egens, egentis, present participle of egere (“to be needy, suffer want”).
Noun
egence (countable and uncountable, plural egences)
- The state of needing, or of suffering a natural want.
- 1876, John Grote, Treatise on Moral Ideals
- Egence is the life of the universe : the highest forms of egence are variously called ' love ' : the lowest are simple appetence , perhaps merely physical .
- 1876, John Grote, Treatise on Moral Ideals
References
egence in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913