| Library / English Dictionary |
PREEXISTING
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Existing previously or before something
Example:
variations on pre-existent musical themes
Synonyms:
pre-existent; pre-existing; preexistent; preexisting
Classified under:
Similar:
antecedent (preceding in time or order)
II. (verb)
Sense 1
-ing form of the verb preexist
Context examples:
A large 2011 study found that omega-3 supplements did not improve the brain health of older patients with preexisting heart disease.
(Study shows no benefit of omega-3 or other nutritional supplements for cognitive decline, NIH)
Malignant melanoma of the iris often originates from preexisting nevi.
(Iris Neoplasm, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)
Even patients with preexisting coronary artery plaque saw a reduction in coronary inflammation following biologic therapy.
(Psoriasis therapy linked to reduced coronary inflammation in patients with the skin condition, National Institutes of Health)
There is a cost associated with making these traits, says Poethig, senior author of the report, “but the plant needs them, otherwise it’s a goner. Dan showed: no ants, no plants. The plant is eaten by everything from grasshoppers to mice. So there’s a tradeoff happening. And what we found is that these traits seem to have evolved on the back of a preexisting pathway that governs a developmental transition in plants.###!!!###
(Between ants and acacias, timing is everything, National Science Foundation)
