Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To exist before (something); precede.
- intransitive verb To exist beforehand.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To exist before something else; have a prior existence.
- To exist in a previous state.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To exist previously; to exist before something else.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To
exist before something else.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb exist beforehand or prior to a certain point in time
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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Specifically, I am endlessly compelled by the notion that higher stages or levels do not preexist, that is, they are not "given" but are literally created by brave individuals who actually venture into new, uncharted territory, laying down "Kosmic grooves" that others follow, which eventually become actual new structures or stages.
unalog 2008
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Did the capacity for it preexist the consumption event or did it evolve.
A critique on the endosymbiotic theory for the origin of mitochondria 2007
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Did the capacity for it preexist the consumption event or did it evolve.
A critique on the endosymbiotic theory for the origin of mitochondria 2007
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Slots for the "talented" preexist the people who fill them.
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But stop talking about rights that preexist the Constitution.
The Volokh Conspiracy » A Constitutional Right to Self-Defense? 2009
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Rights, like nonviolence, do not preexist, they are created.
The phobia for religion and politics should melt Tusar N Mohapatra 2008
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(For Maritain, essences do not preexist existence; essences might be better seen as "capacities to exist" [ibid., p. 34].)
Jacques Maritain Sweet, William 2008
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Matter and energy cannot precede themselves or preexist themselves either physically or chronologically.
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Rights, like nonviolence, do not preexist, they are created.
Archive 2008-11-01 Tusar N Mohapatra 2008
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They started before America was founded or the principles of inherent rights that preexist government were even enunciated.
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