existing

American  

[ig-zis-ting] / ɪgˈzɪs tɪŋ /

adjective

1. already or previously in place, before being replaced, altered, or added to.

   Fundraising costs money, and recruiting new donors is more expensive than asking existing supporters to give a little more.

2. having actual being or life.

   The great ornithologist Alexander Wetmore, who died in 1978, allegedly declared that all existing species of birds had already been discovered.

3. occurring in a specified place or under specified conditions.

   Members of committees dealing with the behavior of intelligence services met to discuss the existing challenges and exchange best practices.

4. achieving only the basic needs of existence, as food and shelter.

   Forrest Bess was a marginally existing bait fisherman and artist who lived in a ramshackle cabin on the Gulf of Mexico.

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Other Word Forms

• nonexisting adjective
• unexisting adjective

Etymology

Origin of existing

exist ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Egypt's existing train network -- used by a million people every day -- is plagued by infrastructure and maintenance problems that caused nearly 200 accidents last year, according to official figures.

From Barron's

In contrast, this study revisited existing pupillometry data and focused directly on blink timing and frequency.

From Science Daily

The researchers say the results could help identify a biological target for new antifungal treatments or even allow existing drugs to be reused, if the same genetic behavior is confirmed during infection in humans.

From Science Daily

For this project, the researchers aimed to build a platform that could measure Raman signals far fainter than those detected by existing Raman systems.

From Science Daily

Intersect’s existing assets in Texas and its operating and in-development assets in California wouldn’t be included in its $4.75 billion acquisition, according to Alphabet.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• actual
• current
• extant