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What does Aristotle mean by saying that universals exist in things?

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The Greek philosopher Plato — Realism Plato, marble portrait bust copied from an original of the 4th century bce; in the Capitoline Museums, Rome.

In Aristotelian realism, the claim that universals exist "in things" (universalia in re) means that properties are not abstract, independent entities, but rather constituents that inhere directly within particular objects.123

Unlike Plato, who argued that universals are transcendent forms existing independently of the physical world, Aristotle maintained that a universal—such as the species "horse" or the attribute of "being red"—exists only as a common constituent shared by the multiplicity of particular things that exemplify it.123

Key aspects of this view include:
* Immanence: Properties are "in" the things that exemplify them, rather than existing in a separate, abstract realm.1
* Dependence: Universals do not exist independently of their instances. If all instances of a particular type were to cease to exist, the universal itself would not exist.123
* Commonality: When we apply a general term to multiple objects, we are identifying a shared, immanent constituent that makes those objects similar.23

This perspective rejects the notion that universals are "before the thing" (ante rem) and instead grounds them firmly within the physical world.23