coexist

verb

co·​ex·​ist ˌkō-ig-ˈzist 

coexisted; coexisting; coexists

intransitive verb

1

: to exist together or at the same time

2

: to live in peace with each other especially as a matter of policy

coexistence

ˌkō-ig-ˈzi-stən(t)s 

noun

coexistent

ˌkō-ig-ˈzi-stənt 

adjective

Synonyms of coexist

• accompany
• coincide

Examples of coexist in a Sentence

The species coexist in the same environment.

Can the two countries peacefully coexist?

Recent Examples on the Web

That distinction may help explain why higher Treasury yields have recently coexisted with less convincing dollar strength. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026

The aspiration to establish a single global order is giving way to a reality in which many organizing systems coexist and compete. — Mark Leonard, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Companies employ people, people form specific buying committees, those committees evaluate competing products and distinct technologies coexist within an enterprise stack. — Filip Popovic, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Silence is palpable in the portraits of the men, photographs that show hardship coexisting with resilience, that quiver with pathos but do not collapse. — Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for coexist

• assist
• blacklist
• booklist
• checklist
• consist
• desist
• dismissed
• enlist
• exist
• insist
• oocyst
• persist

Kids Definition

coexist

verb

co·​ex·​ist ˌkō-ig-ˈzist 

1

: to exist together or at the same time

2

: to live in peace with each other

coexistence

-ˈzis-tən(t)s 

noun

coexistent

-tənt 

adjective