exist
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to have actual being; be.
The world exists, whether you like it or not.
-
to have life or animation; live.
-
to continue to be or live.
Belief in magic still exists.
-
to have being in a specified place or under certain conditions; be found; occur.
Hunger exists in many parts of the world.
-
to achieve the basic needs of existence, as food and shelter.
He's not living, he's merely existing.
verb
-
to have being or reality; to be
-
to eke out a living; stay alive; survive
I can barely exist on this wage
-
to be living; live
-
to be present under specified conditions or in a specified place
sharks exist in the Pacific
-
philosophy
-
to be actual rather than merely possible
-
to be a member of the domain of some theory, an element of some possible world, etc
-
to have contingent being while free, responsible, and aware of one's situation
-
Other Word Forms
- exister noun
- existing adjective
Etymology
Origin of exist
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin ex(s)istere “to exist, appear, emerge,” equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + sistere “to stand”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The festival will take over smaller independent venues around Manchester and Salford, which Grimshaw believes is "key" to "making sure that a music scene exists".
From BBC
One dentist said that patients were "lied to" and told they couldn't be seen on the NHS in an "attempt to force them to go private" even when spare appointment slots existed.
From BBC
Gulf Coast, the closure paradoxically contributes to high margins for producing diesel and gasoline that will likely benefit its existing plants.
From Barron's
The app’s remix feature allowed users to superimpose the likeness of their friends or celebrities into existing AI-generated video or create brand new ones.
From Los Angeles Times
Forms of betting have existed for decades in places like Las Vegas and even longer in industries such as horse racing, without widespread societal harm.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
