preexisting

adjective

pre·​ex·​ist·​ing ˌprē-ig-ˈzi-stiŋ 

: existing at an earlier time

a preexisting medical condition

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The building itself, which was built on a preexisting 13th-century structure, has a courtyard with stately arcades. —Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2023

Deepfake videos could exploit modern societies split by partisanship into echo chambers where information—authentic or not—tends to reinforce preexisting beliefs. —IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023

The Left’s impulse to reduce disturbed attackers to categories and force them awkwardly into a preexisting ideological framework insults their victims. —Noah Rothman, National Review, 29 Mar. 2023

For those who have used the drugs to deal with smaller amounts of weight and no preexisting conditions, there are many unanswered questions. —Jamie Rosen, Town & Country, 2 Mar. 2023

Heart surgery and heart attacks can also prompt the condition, as well as preexisting medical issues, injuries, and medications. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2023

Olson and Salem began with a preexisting AI model that had already been trained on scientific documents written by humans. —Hiawatha Bray, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Dec. 2022

Smith conceptualized a different layout, dividing the preexisting primary bedroom into two smaller bedrooms and incorporating a narrow hallway into what became the couple’s bedroom. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Nov. 2022

Others provided preexisting annual reports or spreadsheets of case data that answered all or some of the questions. —USA Today, 16 Nov. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

preexisting

adjective

pre·​ex·​ist·​ing ˌprē-ig-ˈzi-stiŋ 

variants or pre-existing

: existing or present earlier or before a certain point of time

In 1990, over 60 percent of group health insurance plans contained exclusions of coverage for preexisting conditions, signifying the denial of benefits for any illness present at the time the insurance is obtained.

—Thomas Bodenheimer, in The New England Journal of Medicine