as in previous
existing at an earlier time; existing before something else
The insurance does not cover preexisting medical conditions. They made changes to the preexisting law.
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Dissimilar Words
as in preceding
to go or come before in time
an advanced Mesoamerican civilization whose apex and collapse preexisted the arrival of Europeans by hundreds of years
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Recent Examples of preexisting
Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
Each time, agencies added new capabilities to a preexisting model—more onto what already existed, instead of considering it all again.
—Abigail Stuart, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions.
—Devi Shastri, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
Government officials appear to be limiting COVID shots to people who are aged 65 and older and to those who have certain preexisting health conditions—groups that have long been known to face a higher risk of developing severe COVID.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for preexisting
Adjective
The National Weather Service is in worse shape than previously known, according to interviews with current and former meteorologists, due to a combination of layoffs, early retirements and preexisting vacancies.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
Each time, agencies added new capabilities to a preexisting model—more onto what already existed, instead of considering it all again.
—Abigail Stuart, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions.
—Devi Shastri, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
Government officials appear to be limiting COVID shots to people who are aged 65 and older and to those who have certain preexisting health conditions—groups that have long been known to face a higher risk of developing severe COVID.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for preexisting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preexisting
Adjective
-
Santa Marta also showed a 22.7% increase in international arrivals over the previous year, third among all Colombian cities in terms of the most rapid growth from abroad.—
Carley Rojas Ávila,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
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This year's Run for the Roses also drew in the highest ever average viewership with nearly 18 million viewers, which is up 6% from the previous year.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
In seven preceding episodes, Season 3 zoomed in on the insecurities, selfishness, and devious choices of a wide-ranging ensemble cast.—
Hannah Giorgis,
The Atlantic,
7 Apr. 2025
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In the weeks preceding the announcement, many families paused to evaluate how their portfolio companies may be impacted by tariffs, according to Vicki Odette, partner at Haynes Boone.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That’s because precedent changes in small but important ways all the time.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
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That’s because precedent changes in small but important ways all the time.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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That makes the the initial 0.5% of income donated to charity not deductible.—
Bruce Brumberg,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
Last-minute amendments watered down initial requirements to produce annual impact assessments and mitigate algorithmic discrimination in an attempt to make the bill more palatable to the governor.—
Angela Eichhorst,
Hartford Courant,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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Now, after flash floods earlier this month killed at least 135 Texans in the Hill Country, the bill’s original authors are hoping Abbott will give the proposal a second look.—
Bayliss Wagner,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
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On July 18, Taylor Nation posted a new archive section of her website that includes 15 tabs for each of her albums (11 original recordings and four rerecords).—
Bryan West,
The Tennessean,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preexisting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preexisting. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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