Added 6 October 2026
exist
/ɪɡˈzɪst/ verb
In Latin: existō, exsistō, sum Wiktionary
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about exist at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)