1. past tense of exist; to have been real or present; to have lived or occurred

Examples

• Dinosaurs existed millions of years ago.
• The old building existed for over a century before it was demolished.
• She wondered if such a perfect place had ever existed.
• The company existed only on paper until they opened their first office.
• Ancient civilizations existed long before written history.
• The problem existed for years before anyone addressed it.