preexist

Or pre-ex·ist

[pree-ig-zist]

verb (used without object)

1. to exist beforehand.

2. to exist in a previous state.

verb (used with object)

1. to exist prior to (something or someone else); precede.

   primitive artifacts that preexisted sophisticated tools.

Other Word Forms

• preexistence noun
• preexistent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of preexist¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; pre- + exist

Example Sentences

“There’s a pattern here of severe departure from preexisting norms … that are being tossed aside left and right.”

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You can also get private healthcare, Medicina Prepagada, with English-speaking doctors, but you may be denied coverage if you have preexisting conditions.

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Developing autonomy for a rail system is drastically different than building a driverless car because there are different variables and the technology has to adapt to a strict preexisting system, Soule said.

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Fundamentally, AI complicates a preexisting problem: Often, instructors have put too little thought into homework, said Mollie Galloway, associate professor at the Graduate School of Education and Counseling at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon.

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Brunson added that preexisting conditions before incarceration are only “intensified and worsened by relying on mass incarceration.”

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Related Words

• anticipate 
• foreshadow 
• predate 
• presage