pre-existed
Was already there
Pre-existed is the past tense of pre-exist, meaning to exist before something else: The soul pre-existed the body, according to Plato.
The term appears often in theological and philosophical contexts discussing whether something had prior existence: These rights pre-existed the Constitution.
Something that comes first
- forerunnerOne that comes before
- predecessorOne who came first
- antecedentSomething that precedes
- priorExisting before another
earlier · before · preceding · previous · former · pre-dating · anterior
Very old indeed
- primevalFrom earliest times
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
- antediluvianExtremely old or obsolete
- archaicBelonging to earlier times
original · primal · earliest · first · foundational · aboriginal · autochthonous · indigenous
precursor
Something that comes first
- forerunnerOne that comes before
- predecessorOne who came first
- antecedentSomething that precedes
prior · earlier · before · preceding · previous · former · pre-dating · anterior
ancient
Very old indeed
- primevalFrom earliest times
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
- antediluvianExtremely old or obsolete
archaic · original · primal · earliest · first · foundational · aboriginal · autochthonous · indigenous · innate
enduring
Persisting through time
- lastingContinuing through time
- persistentContinuing despite difficulty
- abidingContinuing without change
permanent · timeless · eternal · perpetual · unchanging · constant · unbroken · ongoing · surviving · remaining
pre-existedcame into being
Started to exist
originated · was born · arose · began · sprang up