exist

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To be real or present; to have being.

   Many people believe that life exists on other planets.

2. 2
   verb

   To stay alive, especially with very little.

   It is hard to exist on such a low wage.

From French exister, from Latin existō, exsistō (“I am, I exist, appear, arise”), from ex (“out”) + sistere (“to set, place”) (related to stare (“to stand, to be stood”)), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti, from the root *steh₂- (“stand”); see stand. Compare assist, consist, desist, insist, persist, resist. Cognate with Spanish existir, French exister, Italian esistere, German existieren.

Topics