exist
Americanverb (used without object)
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exists,
present (3rd person singular)
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existed,
past participle, past
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existing
present participle
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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existsimple
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existssimple
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have existedperfect
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has existedperfect
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am existingprogressive
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are existingprogressive
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is existingprogressive
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have been existingperfect progressive
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has been existingperfect progressive
Past
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existedsimple
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had existedperfect
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was existingprogressive
-
were existingprogressive
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had been existingperfect progressive
Future
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”
Explanation
The verb exist means to live, to have reality. Dodos no longer exist because they were hunted to extinction. It's not only "live" things that exist. The government exists, as does your fear of heights. Anything that can be acknowledged in the present, exists. Another meaning for the verb exist is to support oneself or survive. If someone doesn't have a job, they may have to exist on unemployment benefits until they find one.
Vocabulary lists containing exist
Because of Winn-Dixie
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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"Inventing to Solve a Problem"
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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.
See Examples For:
For people who can afford to buy but are considering waiting for a better deal in 2027, Serhant pointed to opportunities he believes already exist.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 9, 2026
Dipping into multiple genres for his sixth album, he's set out to explore what it means to exist between cultures and how it's shaped him as an artist.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
The group's founder, Vladislav Pozdniakov, denied any involvement, saying on social media Friday that the "movement does not exist since 2021".
From Barron's ● Nov. 7, 2026
However, demonstrating that such massive white dwarfs could theoretically exist is only part of the challenge.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
When Bobby discovered that Kaltenbrunner’s son was still alive, living in Vienna, he visited him to discuss whether the concentration camps did or didn’t exist.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Godzilla in this making is the same iconic beast that many North American viewers know from the 1998 Sony Pictures film, but he exists in a different storyline with different producers.
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2026
Although the findings do not establish that Mars is currently erupting or that life exists beneath its surface, they offer an intriguing new reason to investigate the volcanic fractures around Alba Mons.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2026
Gabby is one of those girls who exists in permanent cringe mode, embarrassed by all things but mostly by herself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
DeChambeau, who had not revealed his future plans, said he hopes the league "exists forever", while former Taylor Made and Adidas executive Mark King was appointed as a senior adviser last week.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
As long as this exists, and that should be forever, I know that there will be solace for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
"What Male State? Where have you seen it? It hasn't existed for many years," the message on the channel reads.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
With fewer events to analyze, the trial had less statistical power to determine whether a meaningful difference existed between the two approaches.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
There’s an ironic disconnect when a town calls itself “Polar Bear Capital of the World” — it’s not like these creatures, who existed long before us, get to be in charge of anything.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
At the beginning, we were none of us technological visionaries, but I at least had been online for a while, since even before the web itself existed.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2026
This bond is rooted within the inseparable relationship between lyrics and music that has existed for thousands of years.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
The tokenized-securities trading platform, which is targeting a launch in the fourth quarter pending regulatory approval, will use NYSE’s existing technology to match trades and Avalanche to settle them instantly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
Dave has now adapted it to allow the space to become an underground "man cave", and it will ultimately connect to an existing underground room beneath his garden.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026
Moynihan said she’d like to build out more functionality for existing vehicle owners, like helping them plan ongoing maintenance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
The possibility that an existing vaccine could have benefits extending beyond influenza prevention is particularly intriguing.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2026
Most such tailor-made systems modify existing alphabets, though some instead design syllabaries.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
