existentialist

/ɛɡzɪsˈtɛnt͡ʃʰələst/

//ɛɡzɪsˈtɛnt͡ʃʰələst// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"existentialist" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“existentialist” is uncommon English (frequency #60,798 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,798
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person who adheres to the philosophy of existentialism.

Corpus desk

Index EN-existentialist · existentialist · English

existentialist · rank #60,798 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #60,798
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH exoneration

Nearest frequency peer: exoneration (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “existentialist”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “existentialist” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for existentialist
PropertyValue
Headwordexistentialist
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɛɡzɪsˈtɛnt͡ʃʰələst/
Letters14
Frequency rank#60,798
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “existentialist” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).existentialistfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “exoneration” (#60,799), “Etobicoke” (#60,796), “farmstead” (#60,801). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “existentialist” is #60,798. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

existentialist is uncommon English at frequency #60,798 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɛɡzɪsˈtɛnt͡ʃʰələst/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A person who adheres to the philosophy of existentialism.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for existentialist, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French existentialiste, equivalent to existential + -ist. The correct English form is existentialist, spelled E-X-I-S-T-E-N-T-I-A-L-I-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who adheres to the philosophy of existentialism.

Etymology

From French existentialiste, equivalent to existential + -ist.

This word in other languages

existencialista(Español)existentialiste(Français)Existentialist(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "existentialist"?
"existentialist" is spelled E-X-I-S-T-E-N-T-I-A-L-I-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɛɡzɪsˈtɛnt͡ʃʰələst/.
What does "existentialist" mean?
As a noun, "existentialist" means: A person who adheres to the philosophy of existentialism.
How do you pronounce "existentialist"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "existentialist" is /ɛɡzɪsˈtɛnt͡ʃʰələst/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "existentialist"?
From French existentialiste, equivalent to existential + -ist. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "existentialist", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 14 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

conjunctivitis#60,721neutralization#60,985overproduction#61,006redistributing#60,411

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list