coexist
Americanverb (used without object)
-
coexists,
present (3rd person singular)
-
coexisted,
past participle, past
-
coexisting
present participle
verb
-
to exist together at the same time or in the same place
-
to exist together in peace
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
coexistsimple
-
coexistssimple
-
have coexistedperfect
-
has coexistedperfect
-
am coexistingprogressive
-
are coexistingprogressive
-
is coexistingprogressive
-
have been coexistingperfect progressive
-
has been coexistingperfect progressive
Past
-
coexistedsimple
-
had coexistedperfect
-
was coexistingprogressive
-
were coexistingprogressive
-
had been coexistingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of coexist
Explanation
To coexist is to live in the same place or at the same time. If you, your roommate, and a cat all live in an apartment together, you can say the three of you coexist. You can use the verb coexist to simply mean "exist together," or it can mean something more specific — to live peacefully or tolerantly in the same place. Two countries might have to work to find a way to coexist despite years of conflict, for example. The word has been around since the 1600's, but it wasn't used in this second, diplomatic way until 1931. Coexist combines exist, "be" or "live," with the prefix co, "together."
Vocabulary lists containing coexist
co-, col-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Brave
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
No longer content to coexist with natural-born beings or seeking to be more lifelike, synthetic humanoids lord over what’s left of humanity.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
Here in this alt-world Albuquerque, 2D creatures coexist with mundane strip malls.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
In certain quantum materials, different phases can also coexist, although the underlying behavior is far more complex.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
"We will have to learn to coexist with the floods."
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
They allowed thousands of players to simultaneously coexist inside a simulated world, which they connected to via the Internet.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
This theme coexists alongside the church’s support of legitimate defense, and “there may be some tension between them,” said Philpott.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
French-language newspaper El Watan said the "symbolic" visit was "of great historical significance in a country where ancient Christian memory coexists with the Muslim reality of today".
From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026
Constant sorrow coexists with countervailing strength and perseverance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2025
Meanwhile, parents and experts say schools neglect students with math disabilities like dyscalculia, which affects up to 7% of the population and often coexists with dyslexia.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 17, 2023
Throughout its range it coexists with no more than five other arboreal hylids.
From The Genera of Phyllomedusine Frogs (Anura Hylidae) by William E. Duellman
In its most recent appeal in June of this year, the Irish chain argued both it and McDonald's had coexisted in Ireland for around 40 years and there had been no evidence of confusion.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
There is little question of the ideological divergence between the two countries today, but, as Mr. Creuzberger explains, they have cooperated and coexisted through the unlikeliest of circumstances throughout the 20th century.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Both aspects have coexisted for centuries, but the great popularization of the personality side gave rise to a new form of discrimination, astrological prejudice.
From Slate ● May 5, 2026
Researchers are exploring whether these groups competed, coexisted peacefully, or worked together in meaningful ways.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 12, 2026
Would she believe that Poles, Jews, Ukrainians, Armenians, and Hungarians had all coexisted peacefully in Lwów before the war?
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
Many locals who are used to coexisting with the sharks think it’s all a big hullabaloo, too.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
The fact that there’s two personalities coexisting is what makes that whole thing really sing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2025
In his fall 1971 convocation address at the University of Alberta, McLuhan told students that in an electronic world, people become “discarnate data, a sort of disembodied spirit coexisting and functioning simultaneously in diverse locations.”
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2025
"That paradox - of cruelty and warmth coexisting - is what made the finale so moving," said Mr Jeong, the film blogger.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2025
At some point my mom moved to a separate bedroom in the house, and from then on they were married in name only, not even cohabitating but coexisting.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
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.
