to exist

/ɪɡˈzɪst/

Definition & Meaning of "exist"in English

to exist

VERB

to have actual presence or reality, even if no one is thinking about it or noticing it

Intransitive

Grammatical Information

Composition

Simple

State verb

Regular

Present tense

exist

3rd person singular

exists

Present participle

existing

Past simple

existed

Past participle

existed

Examples

Many believe that extraterrestrial life might exist somewhere in the universe.

1.1

to be present or available in a specific location or situation

occur

exist

Intransitive: to exist somewhere

Examples

The rare species exists only in a small region of the Amazon rainforest.

to live or continue to survive, often in difficult circumstances

get by

live

manage

scrape by

subsist

Intransitive: to exist in a specific manner

Examples

The refugees exist in harsh conditions while waiting for resettlement.

Lexical Tree

coexist

existence

existent

exist

Nearby Words

existential determiner

Definition & Meaning of "exist"in English

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