exist
[ ig-zist ]
/ ɪgˈzɪst /
verb (used without object)
to have actual being; be: The world exists, whether you like it or not.
to have life or animation; live.
to continue to be or live: Belief in magic still exists.
to have being in a specified place or under certain conditions; be found; occur: Hunger exists in many parts of the world.
to achieve the basic needs of existence, as food and shelter: He's not living, he's merely existing.
RELATED CONTENT
The Dictionary Just Got A Little Bigger2013 was an exciting year for the English vocabulary. Some long-simmering terms like twerk bounced into the spotlight, while new coinages (from the trendy cronut and selfie to the serious Obamacare) cemented their place in the English language. As the English language grows and evolves, so must our dictionary. Here are just a few words recently added to Dictionary.com: Google Glass DWT bitcoin binge-watch confusticate …
Nearby words
Origin of exist
Related formsex·ist·er, nounnon·ex·ist·ing, adjectiveun·ex·ist·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for existing
British Dictionary definitions for existing
exist
/ (ɪɡˈzɪst) /
verb (intr)
to have being or reality; to be
to eke out a living; stay alive; surviveI can barely exist on this wage
to be living; live
to be present under specified conditions or in a specified placesharks exist in the Pacific
philosophy
- to be actual rather than merely possible
- to be a member of the domain of some theory, an element of some possible world, etc
- to have contingent being while free, responsible, and aware of one's situation
Derived Formsexisting, adjective
Word Origin for exist
C17: from Latin exsistere to step forth, from ex- 1 + sistere to stand
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012