Standard Lemma guide

preexist

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: P R IY1 IH0 G Z IH1 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To exist before something else.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The new device utilized technologies that preexisted.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: antedate, precede, predate, preexist

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

exist beforehand or prior to a certain point in time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Did this condition pre-exist?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: exist, be

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per- Proto-Indo-European *preh2- Proto-Indo-European *-i Proto-Indo-European *préh2i? Proto-Italic *prai Proto-Italic *prai- Latin prae-lbor. Middle English pre- English pre- English exist English preexist From pre- + exist.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: съществувам по-рано (sǎštestvuvam po-rano) — to exist prior to
  • Catalan: preexistir — to exist prior to
  • Chinese Mandarin: 先前存在 (xiānqián cúnzài) — to exist prior to
  • Chinese Mandarin: 先於......存在 /先于......存在 (xiān yú... cúnzài) — to exist prior to
  • Finnish: olla olemassa — to exist prior to
  • French: préexister — to exist prior to
  • French: pré-exister — to exist prior to
  • Italian: preesistere — to exist prior to
  • Macedonian: претпостои (pretpostoi) — to exist prior to
  • Portuguese: preexistir — to exist prior to
  • Russian: существова́ть до (suščestvovátʹ do) — to exist prior to
  • Spanish: preexistir — to exist prior to