Exist vs. Live
'Exist' and 'live' are synonyms but they differ in terms of scope of their meaning. Follow the lesson to learn about their differences.
Both 'live' and 'exist' refer to the state of being or remaining alive or having life. However, 'exist' is a more general term that can refer to the quality of being real or present in relation to any kind of object or idea while 'live' mainly applies to living beings. This lesson will explore the difference between these two verbs.
Difference in Scope and Context
To 'exist' means to be real, to have actual being. Existence can refer to the presence of living organisms, the reality of objects or entities, or the occurrence of events or phenomena. To 'live', on the other hand, is only concerned with existence of living organisms and refers to the quality of being alive. The concept of 'living' can apply to humans, animals, and plants. It implies an active state of being, as opposed to being inanimate or non-living. Here are some examples:
The doctors said he still has many years to
Most plants can't
The company's main objective is to
You cannot use 'live' to talk about a company or business. Although it is comprised of people, the objective is that of the company and not the people in it.
In the depths of the ocean, fascinating and mysterious creatures
Here, you can use 'live' instead of 'exist' as the subject is a living organism.