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Glite Dictionary
existential quantifier

existential quantifier

9.9
A symbol or word in logic that shows at least one thing meets a condition
  • noun
  • /ɪɡˈzɪstɛnʃəl ˈkwɒntɪfaɪər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cuantificador existencial
  • The statement "there exists a number greater than 2" uses the existential quantifier to indicate the presence of such a number.

Examples

  • When expressing concepts in predicate logic, the existential quantifier is crucial for indicating the existence of solutions.

  • In particular, the existential quantifier needs to change, because before it was, we let the player decide whether to choose X or X bar.

  • And what logicians call the existential quantifier is there is the phrase there is.

  • In formal logic, the existential quantifier states that there exists at least one element in a given set that satisfies a certain condition.

Synonyms

existential operator
vsexistential quantifier
  • Specialized
9.9

A symbol showing that at least one thing exists that makes a statement true

has identical meaning but is called by a different technical name

Surface Forms

existential quantifier singular
existential quantifiers plural

Morphology

existential + quantifier

The phrase denotes a quantifier that expresses existence, which follows directly from combining 'existential' (relating to existence) with 'quantifier' (an operator that specifies propositional scope). Although the term is technical, its meaning is compositionally transparent and parallels constructions in other languages, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Existential quantifier comes from saying 'there exists': existential means about things that 'exist' and quantifier is something that tells 'how many'. So, the whole phrase marks that 'there is at least one' object that makes a statement true.