preexist: Meaning and Definition of

pre•ex•ist

Pronunciation: (prē"ig-zist'), [key]
— v.i.
  1. to exist beforehand.
  2. to exist in a previous state.
—v.t.
  1. to exist prior to (something or someone else); precede: primitive artifacts that preexisted sophisticated tools.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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