preexisting
adjective
pre·ex·ist·ing
ˌprē-ig-ˈzi-stiŋ 
: existing at an earlier time
a preexisting medical condition
Examples of preexisting in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions.
—
Devi Shastri, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
Government officials appear to be limiting COVID shots to people who are aged 65 and older and to those who have certain preexisting health conditions—groups that have long been known to face a higher risk of developing severe COVID.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 10 June 2025
Importantly, under the ACA, individuals who may have been uninsured due to preexisting conditions or limited finances can secure affordable health plans through the health insurance marketplaces established by the law.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
On Thursday morning, an orange zone on the map suggested that the affected area was experiencing particulate matter or ozone pollution levels in the 101-150 range, and thus was unhealthy for sensitive groups such as children, older adults or those with preexisting conditions.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for preexisting
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Devi Shastri, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
Government officials appear to be limiting COVID shots to people who are aged 65 and older and to those who have certain preexisting health conditions—groups that have long been known to face a higher risk of developing severe COVID.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 10 June 2025
Importantly, under the ACA, individuals who may have been uninsured due to preexisting conditions or limited finances can secure affordable health plans through the health insurance marketplaces established by the law.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
On Thursday morning, an orange zone on the map suggested that the affected area was experiencing particulate matter or ozone pollution levels in the 101-150 range, and thus was unhealthy for sensitive groups such as children, older adults or those with preexisting conditions.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for preexisting
Cite this Entry
“Preexisting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preexisting. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
Thomas Bodenheimer, in The New England Journal of MedicineLove words? Need even more definitions?
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