What does existing mean?
Existing is an adjective describing something that is currently in existence, in force, or in use. It derives from the verb "exist," which traces back to the Latin "exsistere," meaning "to stand out" or "to come forth." In practice, existing most often appears before a noun to distinguish what is already present from something new, proposed, or planned: existing customers, existing infrastructure, existing laws, or existing conditions. It carries a neutral connotation and is equally at home in everyday speech and in formal contexts such as legal, business, and technical writing, where it serves a precise contrastive function. The word is closely related to a family of terms including existence, existent, and existential. Its utility lies in economy: a single adjective can signal that a thing predates the moment under discussion, sparing writers longer phrases such as "that which already exists."
adjectiveCurrently in existence, in force, or in use at a given time; already present rather than newly created.
- Present or currently in force or operation (an existing law, an existing system).
- Already established before a change or addition is made (existing customers, existing buildings).
"The renovation must preserve the building's existing facade wherever possible."
"The company focused its marketing efforts on reaching existing customers."
"Any new policy must comply with existing regulations."
The word "exist" comes from Latin "exsistere" — literally "to stand out" — so something existing is quite literally standing forth into reality.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of existing
Existing comes from the verb "exist," borrowed into English from Latin "exsistere" (also spelled "existere"), formed from "ex-" ("out of") plus "sistere" ("to stand"), hence literally "to stand out" or "to emerge." The verb entered English in the early 17th century via French and Latin influence. The same Latin root "sistere" produced a family of English verbs including insist, persist, consist, and resist, making them distant cousins of existing.
Related word forms
How existing is actually used
Neutral register, common in both everyday and technical/legal writing. Often used attributively to contrast what already exists with something proposed, new, or additional.
Easily confused with existing
"Extant" is a formal adjective meaning still surviving (often of documents or species), while "existing" is a general term for anything currently present or in force.