1. to exist before something else in time
Usage: third person singular present tense of ‘preexist’

Examples

• The ancient temple preexists the modern city by several centuries.
• This geological formation preexists human civilization.
• The original manuscript preexists all known copies.
• The custom preexists written records of the culture.
• The building preexists the current zoning laws.
• This species preexists the ice age by millions of years.