INDEX:
1. to exist
2. to not exist
3. when something no longer exists
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ ALIVE
↑ DEAD
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1. to exist
▷ exist /ɪgˈzɪst/ [intransitive verb not in progressive]
to be something that is really present or living :
▪ Do you think ghosts really exist?
▪ The blue whale is the largest creature that has ever existed on earth.
▪ We can’t continue to pretend that the problem of homelessness doesn’t exist in this city.
there exists/there exist
▪ There now exists a significant body of scientific research on the subject.
▷ there is/are /ðeər ɪz, ɑːʳ/
if you say there is something, you mean that it exists :
▪ Is there life on other planets?
▪ There’s no evidence to prove that Gray is the murderer.
▪ There are hundreds of different computer programs designed specifically for children.
▪ I didn’t know there was Chinese restaurant in your neighborhood.
▷ be found /biː ˈfaʊnd/ [verb phrase]
to exist in a particular place, or inside a particular thing :
▪ Otters are still found in some parts of Britain.
▪ Vitamin C is found in green vegetables and fresh fruit.
can be found
▪ Other examples of this type of romantic poem can be found throughout history.
▷ occur /əˈkɜːʳ/ [intransitive verb not in progressive]
if something such as a particular type of substance or illness occurs in a particular place, it exists there - used especially in scientific contexts :
occur in
▪ The disease occurs mainly in children, but can also occur in adults.
▪ Chromium and nickel occur commonly in areas which are also rich in magnesium.
▪ The Japanese "f' sound does not occur in European languages.
▷ existence /ɪgˈzɪst ə ns/ [uncountable noun]
when something exists :
the existence of something
▪ For the first time she began to doubt the existence of God.
in existence
▪ Today there are less than 100 copies of the book still in existence.
▪ The organization has been in existence for only 18 months.
2. to not exist
▷ not exist /nɒt ɪgˈzɪst/ [verb phrase]
▪ The Atlantic Ocean did not exist 150 million years ago.
▪ She looked right through me as if I didn’t exist.
▪ The village the old man mentioned doesn’t exist on any of my maps.
▷ there’s no such thing /ðeəʳz ˌnəʊ sʌtʃ ˈθɪŋ/ spoken
use this to tell someone that you are sure something does not exist :
▪ I don’t believe in vampires - there’s no such thing.
there’s no such thing as
▪ I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no such thing as perfect happiness.
▷ nonexistent /ˌnɒn ɪgˈzɪst ə nt◂ǁˌnɑːn-/ [adjective]
something that is nonexistent does not exist :
▪ Steady jobs are almost nonexistent in remote parts of the country.
▪ It turned out that many of the letters of recommendation were from nonexistent companies.
3. when something no longer exists
▷ no longer exist/not exist any more /nəʊ ˌlɒŋgər ɪgˈzɪstǁ-ˌlɔːŋ-, nɒt ɪgˈzɪst eni mɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
▪ Many of the old birth and death records do not exist any more.
▪ The system that guaranteed lifetime employment no longer exists.
▪ The ideal is to build a society in which racism no longer exists.
▷ extinct /ɪkˈstɪŋkt/ [adjective]
if a type of animal is extinct, none of them are alive anymore :
▪ The white rhino is now almost extinct.
▪ There are several theories as to why the dinosaurs became extinct.
▪ The valley contains fossils of many extinct species.
▷ die out /ˌdaɪ ˈaʊt/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if something such as a type of plant or animal dies out, there are fewer and fewer of them until finally there are none left :
▪ Many of the old village traditions are dying out.
▪ Unless we do something now, hundreds of plant and animal species will die out.
▷ disappear /ˌdɪsəˈpɪəʳ/ [intransitive verb]
if something disappears, it stops existing and can no longer be seen or felt :
▪ Thousands of miles of rainforest are disappearing every year.
▪ As the economy improves, workers’ fears of being laid off have disappeared.