Preexist (verb)

1. To exist or be in existence before something else.
2. To be in existence before a particular event or situation.

Origin:

The word preexist comes from the word pre, meaning "before" and exist, meaning "to be in existence". it has been in use since the 19th century.

Examples:

1. The problem preexisted the current administration.
2. The company preexisted the merger.
3. The idea of democracy preexisted the American Revolution.
4. The tradition preexisted the arrival of the Europeans.
5. The species preexisted the mass extinction.