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.
Rivals such as Signal, Telegram and homegrown platforms like Koo exist, but none match in popularity.
From BBC
"They're so disgusted yet they are the main consumer and the real reason this economy exists is because of them and it still blows my mind a bit," Attwood adds.
From BBC
This matters because few alternatives exist for the oil-rich Middle East region to keep crude flowing to global markets without safe passage through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
From MarketWatch
According to Zhou, this approach is accessible, easier to manage, and may cause fewer side effects than some existing therapies.
From Science Daily
For decades, scientists believed aging mainly altered how cells function, not how many of each type exist.
From Science Daily
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.
