ente
entity
Origin: From Latin ens, entis ('being, that which exists'), present participle of esse ('to be').
Also means
being
Usage Note
Ente in everyday and bureaucratic Spanish most commonly means a formal entity or body: ente público ('public body'), ente regulador ('regulatory body'). It is also used colloquially, often with gentle mockery, to describe an odd or eccentric person: ¡vaya ente! ('what a character!'). In philosophy it retains its Latin sense of 'being' or 'entity'. The plural is entes.
Examples
"El ente regulador aprobó la fusión de las dos empresas."
Natural Translation
The regulatory body approved the merger of the two companies.

Building your Spanish vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore Spanish by topic