Tough situations are called "existential" when they threaten the core existence, survival, or fundamental purpose of a person, organization, or entity. This usage stems from existential philosophy, which grapples with profound questions like meaning, freedom, isolation, and mortality, but has broadened colloquially to describe crises that feel make-or-break.
Existentialism, as explored by thinkers like Søren Kierkegaard, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Albert Camus, highlights life's apparent absurdity and the human struggle to create meaning amid uncertainty. In this view, an existential crisis arises from confronting death, freedom, or meaninglessness, turning ordinary hardship into a deeper turmoil about one's identity and purpose.wikipedia+1
People apply "existential" to personal crises—like job loss, terminal illness, or the death of a loved one—because these events shatter assumptions about life's stability and value, prompting intense self-questioning. Unlike routine stress (e.g., a deadline), they evoke despair over "Why does any of this matter?" and can lead to anxiety, depression, or reevaluation of priorities.webmd+2
For nations, companies, or institutions, the term signals threats to continued viability, such as bankruptcy, war, or obsolescence, where failure means ceasing to exist. This literal sense underscores imminent peril to the entity's foundational being, beyond mere difficulty.wikipedia
It conveys gravity and universality, evoking philosophy's emphasis on authentic living amid chaos, while signaling a call to find resilience or new purpose. This framing helps frame survival not just as endurance, but as meaningful transformation.neure+1