exist

verb

ex·ist | \ ig-ˈzist

existed; existing; exists

Definition of exist

1a : to have real being whether material or spiritual did unicorns exist the largest galaxy known to exist

b : to have being in a specified place or with respect to understood limitations or conditions strange ideas existed in his mind

2 : to continue to be racism still exists in society

3a : to have life or the functions of vitality we cannot exist without oxygen

b : to live at an inferior level or under adverse circumstances the hungry existing from day to day

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about exist

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Synonyms & Antonyms for exist

Synonyms

be, breathe, live, subsist

Antonyms

depart, die, expire, pass away, perish, succumb

Examples of exist in a Sentence

She believes that ghosts really do exist. It's the largest galaxy known to exist. Does life exist on Mars? The Internet didn't exist then. We shouldn't ignore the problems that exist in our own community. Racism still exists in our society. The organization may soon cease to exist if more funding isn't provided.

Recent Examples on the Web

That is why my book delves into their pasts and the culture that shaped them into two people who consider rules, including the rule of law, as something that exists for other people. — Vicky Ward, Town & Country, "Vicky Ward on Why She Wrote About Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump's Unprecedented White House Role," 17 Mar. 2019 One example was an analysis of all public screenshots of this game that had existed prior to their discovery. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "You can now download the long-lost (and unfinished) SimCity NES port," 26 Dec. 2018 That scenario likely won’t exist this year with a big boost in prize money and points. — Doug Ferguson, The Seattle Times, "PGA Tour contemplating cut to top 65 and ties," 19 Feb. 2019 Getty Images Romantic comedies can’t exist without bets. — Anne T. Donahue, Marie Claire, "Is All Rom-Com Love Based on a Lie?," 12 Feb. 2019 In fact, not only is organic hair dye not necessarily safer than synthetic hair dye, organic hair dye simply doesn't exist. — Marci Robin, Good Housekeeping, "Everything You Need to Know About Organic and Natural Hair Color Formulas," 9 Jan. 2019 For Qualcomm, that has the potential to affect the future phones of its existing customers, which include Google, OnePlus, and the U.S. version of Samsung’s Galaxy phones. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 855 mobile chip as it readies for 5G," 4 Dec. 2018 There’s also the fact that ’90s styles like babydoll dresses and mesh tops already sell well with Dolls Kill’s existing customers. — Eliza Brooke, Vox, "Delia’s, the iconic ’90s fashion catalog, is back — sort of," 2 Nov. 2018 Still, that leaves open the possibility that Skolsky too was jumping on a pre-existing term. — Ben Zimmer, WSJ, "How Did the Academy Award Become the ‘Oscar’?," 22 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.