as in previous
existing at an earlier time; existing before something else
The insurance does not cover preexisting medical conditions. They made changes to the preexisting law.
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Dissimilar Words
as in preceding
to go or come before in time
an advanced Mesoamerican civilization whose apex and collapse preexisted the arrival of Europeans by hundreds of years
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Recent Examples of preexisting
Tracy Achonwa, Vogue, 20 Nov. 2025
China is in a far more precarious state, mostly due to preexisting problems, but the new trade agreement is unlikely to move the dial much for either of the world’s two largest economies.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Lifestyle factors and preexisting conditions can also alter the data.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 17 Oct. 2025
Unlike other genre epics like House of the Dragon or Shōgun, which are based on preexisting material, nobody knows how Stranger Things will end.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preexisting
Adjective
This serum is ideal for anyone looking to target premature and preexisting signs of skin aging.
—Tracy Achonwa, Vogue, 20 Nov. 2025
China is in a far more precarious state, mostly due to preexisting problems, but the new trade agreement is unlikely to move the dial much for either of the world’s two largest economies.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Lifestyle factors and preexisting conditions can also alter the data.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 17 Oct. 2025
Unlike other genre epics like House of the Dragon or Shōgun, which are based on preexisting material, nobody knows how Stranger Things will end.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preexisting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preexisting
Adjective
-
Lakeside's previous police chief, who also served as mayor, Robert Gordanaire, was fired after he and his daughter, the town clerk, were indicted by a grand jury for selling vehicles belonging to the town and pocketing the profit.—
Brian Maass,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The previous schedule was fixed.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This is not a fundamental reassessment but a speculative rush preceding a highly dilutive financing occurrence.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Related Stories At the end, Styles finally gets some attention from a hotel employee at the previously empty front desk, and the preceding minutes are revealed to have been a fantasy, as the mystery figure walks past him, unthreateningly, in the lobby.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s because precedent changes in small but important ways all the time.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
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This adaptation demands re-conceiving large chunks of plot from the ground-up while retaining Liu’s themes, not to mention visualizing concepts with less precedent onscreen than the fantasy tropes Martin deployed and subverted.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
9 Mar. 2024
Adjective
-
As the sector transitions from the initial brute-force stage of training large models to the challenge of running them affordably and efficiently on a large scale, designers are dividing into rival factions.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Sharks general manager Mike Grier and Sherwood’s camp have had initial discussions about what the Ohio native’s next contract would look like, and the two sides were reportedly far apart in negotiations.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In those two top nominees, the film academy put its full force behind a pair of visceral and bracingly original American epics that each connected with a fraught national moment.—
JAKE COYLE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
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ElevenLabs introduced the product alongside The Eleven Album, featuring original releases by artists including Liza Minnelli, Art Garfunkel, and Michael Feinstein, who retain ownership and streaming revenue.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preexisting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preexisting. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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