coexist

American  

[koh-ig-zist] / ˌkoʊ ɪgˈzɪst /

verb (used without object)

• coexists,
  present (3rd person singular)
• coexisted,
  past participle,  past
• coexisting
  present participle

1. 

   to exist together or at the same time.

2. to exist separately or independently but peaceably, often while remaining rivals or adversaries.

   Although their ideologies differ greatly, the two great powers must coexist.

---

coexist British  

/ ˌkəʊɪɡˈzɪst /

verb

1. to exist together at the same time or in the same place

2. to exist together in peace

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• coexistence
  noun
• coexistent
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• coexisting
  present
• coexisted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• coexist
  simple
• coexists
  simple
• have coexisted
  perfect
• has coexisted
  perfect
• am coexisting
  progressive
• are coexisting
  progressive
• is coexisting
  progressive
• have been coexisting
  perfect progressive
• has been coexisting
  perfect progressive

Past

• coexisted
  simple
• had coexisted
  perfect
• was coexisting
  progressive
• were coexisting
  progressive
• had been coexisting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will coexist
  simple
• will have coexisted
  perfect
• will be coexisting
  progressive
• will have been coexisting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of coexist

First recorded in 1670–80; co- + exist

Explanation

To coexist is to live in the same place or at the same time. If you, your roommate, and a cat all live in an apartment together, you can say the three of you coexist. You can use the verb coexist to simply mean "exist together," or it can mean something more specific — to live peacefully or tolerantly in the same place. Two countries might have to work to find a way to coexist despite years of conflict, for example. The word has been around since the 1600's, but it wasn't used in this second, diplomatic way until 1931. Coexist combines exist, "be" or "live," with the prefix co, "together."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

coexist coexists coexisted coexisting

The report says AI infrastructure is moving toward a multi-architecture model, in which GPUs and proprietary AI accelerators coexist, increasing demand for advanced interconnect technologies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Here in this alt-world Albuquerque, 2D creatures coexist with mundane strip malls.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

"We will have to learn to coexist with the floods."

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Years ago on “Rick and Morty,” President Andre Curtis fumed that he can’t coexist with Rick Sanchez, a living god who won’t submit to his will.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026

They allowed thousands of players to simultaneously coexist inside a simulated world, which they connected to via the Internet.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

This theme coexists alongside the church’s support of legitimate defense, and “there may be some tension between them,” said Philpott.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

French-language newspaper El Watan said the "symbolic" visit was "of great historical significance in a country where ancient Christian memory coexists with the Muslim reality of today".

From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026

Meanwhile, parents and experts say schools neglect students with math disabilities like dyscalculia, which affects up to 7% of the population and often coexists with dyslexia.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 17, 2023

“Our country has entered a period when strategic opportunity coexists with risks and challenges, and uncertainties and unforeseen factors are rising,” Mr. Xi said.

From New York Times ● Oct. 22, 2022

Throughout its range P. maniculatus coexists with one or more other species of Peromyscus that are more restricted in distribution.

From Comparative Ecology of Pinyon Mice and Deer Mice in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado by Charles L. Douglas

"Back then, the settlers were living alongside us, and we coexisted peacefully. They lived their lives and we lived ours," he told me.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Both aspects have coexisted for centuries, but the great popularization of the personality side gave rise to a new form of discrimination, astrological prejudice.

From Slate ● May 5, 2026

"By showing how color variants that have coexisted for millions of years are wiped out, we now better understand how the emergence of new traits changes competition in nature," concludes Tobias Uller.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 25, 2026

For more than a century, rising ethnic conflicts in Europe coexisted with and were often driven by rising levels of economic growth and democratic activism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026

What kind of cultures, societies and political structures would have emerged in a world where several different human species coexisted?

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Gauna hopes his videos help educate people about the importance of coexisting with sharks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

Instead, scientists will target gases coexisting in ways that can’t be explained by geology alone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

This means two species had been coexisting unnoticed until one appeared farther north in Tohoku.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2025

In his fall 1971 convocation address at the University of Alberta, McLuhan told students that in an electronic world, people become “discarnate data, a sort of disembodied spirit coexisting and functioning simultaneously in diverse locations.”

From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2025

At some point my mom moved to a separate bedroom in the house, and from then on they were married in name only, not even cohabitating but coexisting.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah