Already present or in use at this time. It often contrasts with things that are new, planned, or imagined.
From the verb *exist* plus the present-participle ending *-ing*. *Exist* traces back to Latin *existere* ‘to stand out, appear, be’.
When people say ‘the existing system’ or ‘existing laws,’ they’re quietly comparing them with possible future versions. The word suggests that what we have now is not permanent—it’s just what happens to be real at this moment.
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