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.

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coexist British  

/ ˌkəʊɪɡˈzɪst /

verb

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

2. to exist together in peace

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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

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

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Mr. Kneale could have added to his list of creatures with which Floridians are willing to coexist: sharks, raccoons, armadillos, possums, rattlesnakes and bugs of every variety.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Explaining how this growing complexity can coexist with the continual rise of entropy remains an unresolved problem.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

De Palma paints pictures that don’t conflict so much as they coexist, like two sides of a coin — purity and debauchery, the real, politically sanctioned currencies of this country — fresh from the U.S.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

Two souls cannot coexist within the same body, Meir had told me, and maybe he was right.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

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

Leonardo embodies the world of art, which coexists with the worlds of the living and of the dead.

From New York Times ● Oct. 19, 2022

In either sex arrested development of the face, middle ear, and palate often coexists with these supernumerary breasts.

From Degeneracy Its Causes, Signs and Results by Eugene S. Talbot

"Kank coexisted with larger carnivores such as Maip macrothorax, a formidable megaraptorid dinosaur more than 10 metres long, which may have been capable of preying upon it," Dr. Motta adds.

From Science Daily ● May 29, 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

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

A Hudbay representative sent a statement that said, “Ranching and mining have coexisted in Arizona for generations, and we operate both with the same commitment to land stewardship and care for our neighboring communities.”

From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2025

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

The results of the study, though limited to the Lassen and Harvey wolf packs during a several-month period, underscore the challenges of people coexisting with wolves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 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

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

"That paradox - of cruelty and warmth coexisting - is what made the finale so moving," said Mr Jeong, the film blogger.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 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