exist
Americanverb (used without object)
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to have actual being; be.
The world exists, whether you like it or not.
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to have life or animation; live.
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to continue to be or live.
Belief in magic still exists.
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to have being in a specified place or under certain conditions; be found; occur.
Hunger exists in many parts of the world.
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to achieve the basic needs of existence, as food and shelter.
He's not living, he's merely existing.
verb
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to have being or reality; to be
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to eke out a living; stay alive; survive
I can barely exist on this wage
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to be living; live
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to be present under specified conditions or in a specified place
sharks exist in the Pacific
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philosophy
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to be actual rather than merely possible
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to be a member of the domain of some theory, an element of some possible world, etc
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to have contingent being while free, responsible, and aware of one's situation
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Other Word Forms
- exister noun
- existing adjective
Etymology
Origin of exist
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin ex(s)istere “to exist, appear, emerge,” equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + sistere “to stand”
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.
“We know the disparities exist, but they become shockingly obvious,” said Char Miller, an environmental analysis professor at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif.
Mr. Walther was collecting these categories when others were hardly aware they existed.
Before then, no lakes had existed in this part of the 79°N Glacier.
From Science Daily
Bellinger, however, said that around half of Costco’s recent U.S. warehouse openings were “fill-ins,” or new stores in existing markets that compete with — or take the pressure off — more popular nearby stores.
From MarketWatch
It takes decades to bring copper discoveries to production, and existing mines are fraught with challenges that can disrupt output.
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.
