verb
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to exist together at the same time or in the same place
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to exist together in peace
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of coexist
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."
Vocabulary lists containing coexist
co-, col-
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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.
“Vivos has prided itself on the ability of members to coexist with each other and within the confines of the Rules and Regulations,” it said in an email to lessees.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
As long as profits aren’t affected, there could be room for higher yields and higher stocks to coexist, said Eric Winograd, chief U.S. economist at AllianceBernstein.
From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026
Paradoxically, deep labour shortages coexist with high unemployment.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
Some native fungi, including those with ecological or medicinal importance, were reduced, while only a small number of species seemed able to coexist with the invasive mushroom.
From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 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
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.
