coexist

[koh-ig-zist]

verb (used without object)

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

/ ˌkəʊɪɡˈzɪst /

verb

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

2. to exist together in peace

Other Word Forms

• coexistent adjective
• coexistence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of coexist¹

First recorded in 1670–80; co- + exist

Example Sentences

Shoppers “want quality and price to coexist,” said Rick Gomez, chief commercial officer at Target.

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“We want peace with the Israelis. We want peace with the Palestinians, we want them to coexist peacefully,” he added.

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That Plinkst and the Swanburne Academy could coexist on the same planet seemed as unlikely as pigs taking flight, hens growing teeth, very hot places freezing over, and other such expressions of the impossible.

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“I am more than happy to coexist with nature,” Hendra said.

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The governor of Mendoza province, the center of Argentina’s wine industry, says he wants the country’s flagship Malbec wine to coexist with copper.

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