continuation: What we'll see in the future is, in fact, a continuation of that trend.
maintenance: …the importance of natural food to the maintenance of health.
ex|ist|ent / I gz I stənt/
1 ADJ You can describe something as existent when it exists. [FORMAL ] □ Their remedy lay within the range of existent technology.
2 → see also non-existent
ex|is|ten|tial /e gz I ste nʃ ə l/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Existential means relating to human existence and experience. [FORMAL ] □ Existential questions requiring religious answers still persist.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use existential to describe fear, anxiety, and other feelings that are caused by thinking about human existence and death. [FORMAL ] □ 'What if there's nothing left at all?' he cries, lost in some intense existential angst.
ex|is|ten|tial|ism /e gz I ste nʃəl I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Existentialism is a philosophy which stresses the importance of human experience, and says that everyone is responsible for the results of their own actions. [TECHNICAL ]
ex|is|ten|tial|ist /e gz I ste nʃəl I st/ (existentialists )
1 N‑COUNT An existentialist is a person who agrees with the philosophy of existentialism.
2 ADJ If you describe a person or their philosophy as existentialist , you mean that their beliefs are based on existentialism. □ …existentialist theories.
ex|ist|ing ◆◇◇ / I gz I st I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] Existing is used to describe something which is now present, available, or in operation, especially when you are contrasting it with something which is planned for the future. □ …the need to improve existing products and develop new lines. □ Existing timbers are replaced or renewed.
exit /e gz I t, e ks I t/ (exits , exiting , exited )
1 N‑COUNT The exit is the door through which you can leave a public building. □ He picked up the case and walked towards the exit. □ There's a fire exit by the downstairs ladies room.
2 N‑COUNT An exit on a motorway or highway is a place where traffic can leave it. □ Take the A422 exit at Old Stratford.
3 N‑COUNT [usu adj N ] If you refer to someone's exit , you are referring to the way that they left a room or building, or the fact that they left it. [FORMAL ] □ I made a hasty exit and managed to open the gate.
4 N‑COUNT If you refer to someone's exit , you are referring to the way that they left a situation or activity, or the fact that they left it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ from ] …after England's exit from the European Championship. □ They suggested that she make a dignified exit in the interest of the party.
5 VERB If you exit from a room or building, you leave it. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] She exits into the tropical storm. □ [V n] As I exited the final display, I entered a hexagonal room. □ [V + from ] She walked into the front door of a store and exited from the rear.
6 VERB If you exit a computer program or system, you stop running it. [COMPUTING ] □ [V n] I can open other applications without having to exit WordPerfect. ● N‑SING Exit is also a noun. □ Press Exit to return to your document.
e xit stra t|egy (exit strategies ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] In politics and business, an exit strategy is a way of ending your involvement in a situation such as a military operation or a business arrangement. □ [+from ] The fear is that we have no exit strategy from this conflict.
e xit visa (exit visas ) N‑COUNT An exit visa is an official stamp in someone's passport, or an official document, which allows them to leave the country that they are visiting or living in.
exo|dus /e ksədəs/ N‑SING If there is an exodus of people from a place, a lot of people leave that place at the same time. □ [+ of ] The medical system is facing collapse because of an exodus of doctors.
ex of|fi|cio /e ks ɒf I ʃioʊ/ ADJ [ADJ n] Ex officio is used to describe something such as a rank or privilege that someone is entitled to because of the job or position they have. [FORMAL ] □ …ex officio members of the Advisory Council. □ …an ex-officio degree.
ex|on|er|ate / I gzɒ nəre I t/ (exonerates , exonerating , exonerated ) VERB If a court, report, or person in authority exonerates someone, they officially say or show that that person is not responsible for something wrong or unpleasant that has happened. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] The official report basically exonerated everyone. □ [V n + from ] An investigation exonerated the school from any blame. ● ex|on|era|tion / I gzɒ nəre I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ They expected complete exoneration for their clients.
ex|or|bi|tant / I gzɔː r b I tənt/ ADJ If you describe something such as a price or fee as exorbitant , you are emphasizing that it is much greater than it should be. [EMPHASIS ] □ Exorbitant housing prices have created an acute shortage of affordable housing for the poor. ● ex|or|bi|tant|ly ADV □ …exorbitantly high salaries.
ex|or|cism /e ksɔː r s I zəm/ (exorcisms ) N‑VAR Exorcism is the removing of evil spirits from a person or place by the use of prayer. □ The exorcism was broadcast on television.
ex|or|cist /e ksɔː r s I st/ (exorcists ) N‑COUNT An exorcist is someone who performs exorcisms.
ex|or|cize /e ksɔː r sa I z/ (exorcizes , exorcizing , exorcized ) in BRIT, also use exorcise 1 VERB If you exorcize a painful or unhappy memory, you succeed in removing it from your mind. □ [V n] He confronted his childhood trauma and tried to exorcise the pain.
2 VERB To exorcize an evil spirit or to exorcize a place or person means to force the spirit to leave the place or person by means of prayers and religious ceremonies. □ [V n] They came to our house and exorcised me.