exist
Americanverb (used without object)
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to have actual being; be.
The world exists, whether you like it or not.
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to have life or animation; live.
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to continue to be or live.
Belief in magic still exists.
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to have being in a specified place or under certain conditions; be found; occur.
Hunger exists in many parts of the world.
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to achieve the basic needs of existence, as food and shelter.
He's not living, he's merely existing.
verb
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to have being or reality; to be
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to eke out a living; stay alive; survive
I can barely exist on this wage
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to be living; live
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to be present under specified conditions or in a specified place
sharks exist in the Pacific
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philosophy
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to be actual rather than merely possible
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to be a member of the domain of some theory, an element of some possible world, etc
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to have contingent being while free, responsible, and aware of one's situation
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has existedperfect 3rd person singular
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are existingprogressive
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have existedperfect
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has been existingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been existingperfect progressive
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am existingprogressive 1st person singular
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is existingprogressive 3rd person singular
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existssingular 3rd person
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existingparticiple
Past
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had existedperfect
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was existingprogressive singular
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had been existingperfect progressive
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were existingprogressive plural
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existedsimple
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existedparticiple
Future
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”
Explanation
The verb exist means to live, to have reality. Dodos no longer exist because they were hunted to extinction. It's not only "live" things that exist. The government exists, as does your fear of heights. Anything that can be acknowledged in the present, exists. Another meaning for the verb exist is to support oneself or survive. If someone doesn't have a job, they may have to exist on unemployment benefits until they find one.
Vocabulary lists containing exist
Because of Winn-Dixie
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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"Inventing to Solve a Problem"
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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.
Women are being prepared for jobs in space exploration that "may not yet even exist", according to one female astronaut.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
Was that a difficult space for you to exist in?
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
The remedy we’re talking about that the court could impose is one that Blanche is saying shouldn’t exist.
From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026
The “Backrooms” universe may not exist in our plane, but its entrance is in San Jose, California.
From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026
Even though nature tries to shield the singularities of black holes, scientists know that black holes exist.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
