v. [ad. Fr. exist-er, ad. L. ex(s)istĕre to stand out, be perceptible, hence to exist, f. ex- out + sistĕre reduplicated form of stă- to stand. (The late appearance of the word is remarkable: it is not in Cooper’s Lat.-Eng. Dict. 1565, either under existo or exto.)]
1. To have place in the domain of reality, have objective being.
1605. Shaks., Lear, I. i. 114. The orbs From whom we do exist.
a. 1716. South, Serm. (1737), I. ii. 45. To conceive the world … to have existed from eternity.
1793. Blackstone, Comm. (ed. 12), 593. Corporations which exist by force of the common law.
1797. Godwin, Enquirer, I. vi. 41. The Roman historians are the best that ever existed.
1846. Mill, Logic, I. iii. § 6. The man called father might still exist though there were no child.
1872. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 14. But the conception of justice towards heretics did not exist [in unscientific ages].
2. To have being in a specified place or under specified conditions. With advb. phrase or as; formerly with simple complement. Of relations, circumstances, etc.: To subsist, be found, occur.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., IV. i. G 2. Pish, most things that morally adhere to soules, Wholly exist in drunke opinion.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., II. xxii. § 4. 132 (J.). That Combination does not always exist together in Nature.
1786. H. Tooke, Purley (1860), 201. A quality which … would make me rather chuse … to exist a mastiff or a mule.
1807. Crabbe, Par. Reg., I. 609. But though no weed exists his garden round.
1823. H. J. Brooke, Introd. Crystallogr., 165. The character of the modifying planes … may … be considered to exist in all the prisms belonging to this class.
1833. N. Arnott, Physics (ed. 5), II. I. 122. Which substances … usually exist as airs.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xv. 102. A space of a foot existed between ice and water.
3. To have life or animation; to live.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xxxii. The Prince of Scotland was not to be murdered … he was only to cease to exist.
4. To continue in being, maintain an existence.
1790. Burns, Lett. to P. Hill, 2 March. We are under a cursed necessity of studying selfishness, in order that we may exist.
1791. Burke, Corr. (1844), III. 359. That government is strong indeed which can exist under contempt.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, I. Prol. p. vii. But how does he contrive to exist here!
