preexisting

adjective

pre·​ex·​ist·​ing ˌprē-ig-ˈzi-stiŋ How to pronounce preexisting (audio)
: existing at an earlier time
a preexisting medical condition

Examples of preexisting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Others who are at risk include people with preexisting vascular conditions, the homeless and the elderly. Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025 Importantly, under the ACA, individuals who may have been uninsured due to preexisting conditions or insufficient finances can secure affordable health plans through the health insurance marketplace established by the law. Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024 Rare is it that a debut cookbook written by someone without a large preexisting fan base makes such a splash, but the book continues to this day to be a go-to resource for anybody looking to develop their confidence in the kitchen and is in many ways a modern classic. Wilder Davies, Bon Appétit, 17 Jan. 2025 Because most people on the planet have now been exposed to SARS-CoV-2—in the same way they’re regularly exposed to the flu—some nasal vaccines are being designed as boosters for a preexisting immune response that is starting to wane. Stephani Sutherland, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for preexisting 

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of preexisting was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near preexisting

Cite this Entry

“Preexisting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preexisting. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.

Medical Definition

preexisting

adjective
pre·​ex·​ist·​ing ˌprē-ig-ˈzi-stiŋ How to pronounce preexisting (audio)
variants or pre-existing
: existing or present earlier or before a certain point of time
In 1990, over 60 percent of group health insurance plans contained exclusions of coverage for preexisting conditions, signifying the denial of benefits for any illness present at the time the insurance is obtained.Thomas Bodenheimer, in The New England Journal of Medicine

More from Merriam-Webster on preexisting

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