existing

[ ig-zis-ting ]

adjective

1. already or previously in place, before being replaced, altered, or added to:

   Fundraising costs money, and recruiting new donors is more expensive than asking existing supporters to give a little more.

2. having actual being or life:

   The great ornithologist Alexander Wetmore, who died in 1978, allegedly declared that all existing species of birds had already been discovered.

3. occurring in a specified place or under specified conditions:

   Members of committees dealing with the behavior of intelligence services met to discuss the existing challenges and exchange best practices.

4. achieving only the basic needs of existence, as food and shelter:

   Forrest Bess was a marginally existing bait fisherman and artist who lived in a ramshackle cabin on the Gulf of Mexico.

Other Words From

• non·ex·ist·ing adjective
• un·ex·ist·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of existing¹

exist ( def ) + -ing ²( def )

Example Sentences

They say existing government plans and the decisions in the Budget have made life harder.

From BBC

The team applied a similar method on a global scale using existing data sets.

From Science Daily

As such it would not grant any new exploration licences in UK waters but it would allow existing projects — including Rosebank and Jackdaw — to continue.

From BBC

After years of investigating the diseases' underlying mechanisms, the research team has identified an existing FDA-approved drug that could significantly improve quality of life for affected patients and their families.

From Science Daily

But niceties such as existing law and precedent may not always stand in the way.

From New York Times

Related Words

• actual
• current
• extant